A teacher is simply a student with unlimited chalkboard privileges. - Homeschool Blogger

What's in a name?

Sat, 16 Sep 2006 22:25:00 -0500

I was messing around with Photoshop and all the fun effects you can add to pictures in the program and came up with this collage of prego photos. They are all real photos from today but they have been altered with glowing edges and charcoal and chalk effects.

Since we aren't finding out what we are having, we have a boy and a girl name chosen. I think these are pretty solid names so I don't anticipate them changing before January but you never know! It was just today that I ran across the name Anneleise (sounds like Anna-Lease) and realized how beautiful I think it is. Well, when I was looking up the meaning of the name, I came to find out that it is a combination of the names "Anne" and "Liese" (fancy that!) but the wonderful part is that the name "Liese" originates from the name "Elizabeth", which just so happens to be the name of my dearest, bosom, kindred-spirit friend of 19 years and a co-blogger of yours, Betsyfriend. It was just so perfect because the "Anne" part reminds me of Anne of Green Gables - a movie I watch at least once a year - and how every time I watch that movie I think of Elizabeth and how dear she is to me. Elionai (sound like saying the letters L-E-O-nigh) is a modified spelling of a Biblical masculine name. It means, "My eyes are on Jehovah". It could easily be shortened to Eli if she so desired.

The meaning of Samuel is quite relevant to the Bible - "I asked of God". Asher has its own story that is dear to my heart but one only few know. However, I had decided many, many years ago upon having "Asher" for a boy's name. It simply means "joy or happiness". I am quite fond of unique names that have a beauty in their meaning and spoken word.

Samuel Asher: I asked of God and He gave me happiness.

Elionai Anneleise: My eyes are on God who is bountiful with grace.

Seamstress wannabee

Sat, 16 Sep 2006 14:33:00 -0500

I would love to sew vintage clothes. I have a collection of photographs of clothing that I would like to one day sew for my daughters and myself. The wonderful thing about these fashions is that they are very feminine and can be quite beautiful on a girl or a woman. I simply love them! Of course, I have many, many more among my wish list. Perhaps I will have to resort to having someone sew them for me in the future but in the meantime I imagine myself a wonderful seamstress one day!

Does anyone have any suggestions regarding getting started with sewing clothing? Especially clothing that is made up of specialty/delicate fabric?

Watermelon Trees

Mon, 17 Jul 2006 02:56:00 -0500

So I have not been on here for eons and it isn't because I haven't thought about it but so much has been going on in our lives that I simply feel overwhelmed with the thought of adding another activity (even if it is for fun). However, this evening won't be my catch up time in as much as it will be a request for all of you (if there are any who actually check my blog after such a long absence!).

Will you do me a huge favor on your summer break and ask your child to draw you a picture of a "watermelon tree". I know there is no such thing but I am having a creativity block and I know kids are the best place to go when that happens! I mean, a child could draw a tree with watermelons growing on its branches or they may draw a watermelon with trees growing on its surface. I can't wait to see what your kids do! If you could scan their drawing or email me a picture of it, I would be so grateful! Like I said, I know it is a strange request but it is for a good cause - my creative sanity! :o)

Thanks to all the creative kids out there who will give it a shot for me!

Fruit and Veggie Co-op

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 22:48:00 -0600

A woman near our neighborhood started a fruit and vegetable co-op. What a great idea! We drop our name-labeled-basket off on Friday night with $15 and pick it up on Satruday morning full of fruits and veggies. She does this every two weeks for us.

As you can see from the first photo, there is a wide variety of items in the basket. It changes each week with what is in season. This week we received celery, zuchinni, cauliflower, oranges, lemons, tomatoes, red potatoes, bananas, strawberries, yellow peppers, red apples, mangos, gala apples, butternut squash, asian pears and yams. The second photo shows the basket as we received it and the third photo is a fruit medley I took to a party this weekend (all the fruit on the platter was from our last basket!).

If you don't have a co-op in your neighborhood, I would recommend starting one! Ours currently has over 150 families! Even if she is making only a couple bucks off of each basket, she is making out and providing a great service! It really helps me expand my recipe horizon as well!

A love like this...must listen!

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 22:26:00 -0600

I ran across this story about Annie and Jerry Perasa and I just HAD to share. You will definitely be blessed. Although I am not partial to many of NPR's liberal slants, I have discovered wonderful diamonds-in-the-rough there. This one sparkles more than any of them! Just take a listen:

http://www.npr.org/dmg/dmg.php?prgCode=ME&showDate=24-Feb-2006&segNum=18&mediaPref=WM&getUnderwriting=1

"The story of Danny and Annie Perasa -- how they met, and how they've stayed in love -- inspires many who hear it. Their joy in life, and in one another, was celebrated recently in New York, where a crowd gathered to honor Danny and Annie.

The Perasas are a memorable couple. In person, they come off like a pair of favorite grandparents, with thoughtful wisecracks and stories that take unpredictable turns. They say their affinity for one another was always obvious -- Danny proposed marriage on their first date.

When the Perasas launch into a story, their joy in telling it is obvious. Married since 1978, they have a sweetness about them that makes everyday items -- like notes left around the house -- seem exciting. On the radio and in person, Annie and Danny's infectious enthusiasm draws listeners in, making them strain to hear what the couple have to say.

Their enthusiasm has now been honored in a tangible way. The StoryCorps oral history project has dedicated its booth in Grand Central Terminal to the Perasas. On Friday, Feb. 10, a plaque was unveiled that dedicated the booth to the Perasas.

The plaque reads: 'This booth is dedicated to Danny and Annie Perasa, who recorded their story here on January 6, 2004. Their humor, heart, eloquence and love will never be forgotten.'

The couple made the trip to the ceremony despite Danny's illness: Suffering from pancreatic cancer, he is currently in hospice care. Their visit was a treat for those present, as the Perasas revisited the conversation they had that day in 2004, and the life they've shared since 1978."

What a blessing to know your love's love in this way...

SO blessed!

Sun, 5 Mar 2006 23:57:00 -0600

These are my new newest and greatest finds! Hubby and I were driving past a moving sale in our neighborhood and discovered this table. It is a beauty! We had been wanting to get a table/large desk upstairs for school and games, etc. This table was perfect for having friends over for co-op classes or sitting down for a family card game. It expands to an oval and came with six chairs, although it is currently set up as a circle with four chairs. The table is solid wood and originally came from Pottery Barn. It would have cost 1200.00 if we would have bought it new, but it was only...$200! We were so excited to get six wolid wood chairs and a pedestal table with leaf for $200! We expected to pay more than that for the desk so this was such an incredible blessing!

My newest toy is an overhead projector. I had wanted one for some time because we have several overhead sheets with maps and such but no projector. I wish I would have taken a before and after photo of it because when we picked it up a couple days ago for $35 with a working bulb (the bulbs alone are $20-25) it was a once-gray-now-dingy-yellow color with a sticker inside stating it was made in 1997. I don't think the thing was cleaned since then either because the dirt on it and in it was pretty thick! So, I took it apart, scoured it and spray painted it black. It's a GREAT little projector now! Well, it was before, but now it looks great too. :o) A new one would have cost me around $200 so I was so pleased!

In the time I have been away from blogging things have gotten pretty crazy. My hubby has picked up a teaching class at the church and a month ago I started a homeschool group in our neighborhood because I could not find one nearby and I didn't have the wheels to get to the one that is held at our church (one car family). SO, I started this group online and you wouldn't believe the response! I feel silly being the leader of a homeschool group/co-op since it is only my first year homeschooling, and to be honest I really DID NOT want to lead one up. However, I knew our girls needed the interaction so I prayed about it and followed the Lord's guidance. We now have over 30 families that are members and over 100 children within those families. Our first field trip is this week and there are over 60 children going to the local raw milk farm. We are currently trying to find a location near us that will house us in the summer (when it's 115 degrees - and there has been no measurable rain since the middle of Ocotober here so who knows what the heat will be like this year!).

Puppet Theatrics

Sun, 5 Mar 2006 23:46:00 -0600

Hubby and I built this puppet theatre for the girls for their birthdays. We used the leftover wood from a dresser that broke. I think it turned out great. We put two puppet entries because we knew the girls would probably argue if they only had one. I am going to make curtains for it eventually and I will probably cover the screw heads with some cute painted wooden or clay hearts I have in the craft box. I will post again when it is complete. However, in the meantime, the kids have put on a couple shows by throwing blankets up. They really know how to get the audience involved!

The second largest airplane in the world

Sun, 5 Mar 2006 23:10:00 -0600

We live near what was formerly Williams Air Force Base. It is now Williams Gateway Airport. My hubby has told me a lot of things about the aircraft he sees on this base, as he is an airplane buff. However, these are photos of some of the most interesting of the bunch. The Apache helicopter above has a gun attached to the body of the aircraft. It is controlled by the sight of the pilot. The pilot controls where the gun aims with his line of sight. Whatever he looks at becomes the target. Naturally these pilots must have 20/20 vision or better - no one with crossed or lazy eyes because the sensors couldn't register properly.

The fighter planes are just cool looking. I don't know much about them except that they take off in groups and are very loud and very fast. I believe my husband also said that they can practically raise straight up off the ground rather than having to climb gradually to increase altitude like most planes.

The last photos are of the second largest airplane in the world. Being that this base was once a military base, its airstrip has the capacity to handle massive weight. It so happens that this plane is Russian and it arrived on that day to pick up two of the helicopters you see above. The helicopters were being taken to Israel. The AH-124-100 was back again last week although I don't know what it was there to pick up this time!

Calling all homeschoolers - your help please!

Mon, 30 Jan 2006 20:59:00 -0600

Would you all be so kind as to tell me what are the best places in your city/town/state (a.k.a. neck of the woods) to take field trips with your homeschoolers? I don't need a ton of details, although I do enjoy them. Simply names and cities would be wonderful if you all would be willing to help me out. Thank you!

ie: parks, museums, farms, forests, lakes, preserves, camping, nature hikes, National monuments, local deli, botanical gardens, zoos, observatories, libraries, historic landmarks, reptile house, factory, cheese-making plant, anything that is a can't-miss in your area...

Homeschool hernia?

Sun, 29 Jan 2006 23:46:00 -0600

So, it appears this horrid exploding of the heart and head I have been experiencing the last week is a normal course of events for many homeschoolers, often referred to as "January blahs" or more simply, whining and crying. Honestly, in reading my entry, I can see that some may have noted it as nothing more than a pity party but I can assure you that it was a very intense feeling of failure to, not only successfully teach my daughter effectively, but also to connect with my daughter as a mother. The intensity of my feelings surely sprang from the latter.

However, I must just give a simple update for those who have said a prayer for our family or who simply want to know how things have gone this week. Things have improved. Somehow I managed to learn more about myself through the rivers of tears and intense migraine that one night induced than in the first five months of homeschooling put together. I was incredibly blessed by my commenters and encouraged through this process of refinement. "Be still and know that I am God" has a new meaning thanks to Jeannie and it has been my source of strength. The irony of this statement is that this command from God's Word says be "still" and its meaning is actually be "weak". My strength came from the revelation that I need to be weak.

Thank you God for stripping me of my unhealthy need to always be the strong survivor. Thank you God for not making rest an option, but a requirement, in my Christian walk. I need not feel guilty for not being Supermom. Thank you for speaking to me clearly in my despair Lord. I asked you what you wanted from me and you answered so simply, "I want you to be gentle. I want you to be focused. I want you to be a mom." Lord those words broke me. I am too critical. I am trying to do too much at one time, all the time. I have been so used to being mom and dad for so many years that I don't even know how to simply be mom. You have answered my pleas by requesting the very desires of my soul.

Lord, I want to be gentle. I want the perfectionist in me to be shown for what it truly is...a never ending, never satisfying chasing of the wind. Lord, I know I will never achieve it here in this world. Thank you for revealing the need for me to welcome the learning process as a teacher and a mother. Lord, I want to be focused. It is so easy to try and be everything to everyone while realizing that the one that expects the most from me is actually myself. The truth is that you have equipped me for every good deed and, Lord, raising my children is a GOOD deed that I am so thankful for. I need to accept your truth and your sufficiency. A perfectionist expects failure because of unreachable standards, yet still strives for perfection in their own strength. Strip me of my strength Lord that it will be made perfect in my weakness. Thank you for calling me to be a mom. Thank you for telling me that is what you want of me. Your reassurance fills my heart with hope. Amen

Life is a series of hills and valleys - and I'm on the way down

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 19:30:00 -0600

It's official - I feel like a homeschool failure. I can't seem to get beyond this horrible, nagging, defeatest attitude that perhaps what I failed miserably with discernment. I really felt that God was calling our family to homeschool but I have to say that the days that include tears have outnumbered the days that have not...and more painful still, those tears have been from my daughter. The ideals that I would be closer and more connected have drifted into the land of guilt that tells me I am not a good teacher and what was I thinking?! And I am considering adding another one of our children to the mix?! And I would never be able to have another child and do this.

I am sure that there have been days when many of you have felt this way, but my concern is that it is painting a cloud over our entire household. I feel that if our children are taught by someone else then I shouldn't be staying home at all. I should be "doing" something to earn money and help my husband focus more time on his pursuit of ministry. I am struggling more than I can say.

Children of divorce become adults who can speak their heart's cry

Thu, 19 Jan 2006 18:38:00 -0600

Our new featured artist is Edie Carey and her song "If I Start to Cry" really touches a cord in me when I hear it. Because I have only heard part of the song being that cdbaby carries a two minute preview (which is actually pretty darn good!), I didn't get the whole jist of the song until I read about the album. It appears to be about a young girls who is facing some very painful questions as she reflects on her mother and father's divorce.

got so much to ask you
It's never the time
Why would I spoil a perfect evening?
We've gotten this far on being polite
Besides, I know you're proud of me

When I was made
Did they leave out a part?
Did you know this and choose to guard the secret?
You said everybody's born with a beautiful heart
Well, what was wrong with hers and
Why did you leave it?

If I start to cry, I may not stop
Love runs dry, I run off

Can you help me with this heart inside my chest?
It ain't perfect, but you should see me use it
But it only works when I make a mess
When it looks like I'm about to lose it

If I start to cry, I may not stop
Love runs dry, I run off

Yeah I'm just like my mother
Yeah I'm just like my mother
And if you don't love her,
What does that mean about me?

If I start to cry, I may not stop
I wanna know why I run off
I wanna know why I'm like this
I wanna know why

After reading the full lyrics, the impact from this song is so much deeper for me. These are issues my eight-year-old daugther is experiencing on only a superficial level at this point in her life, but I can see that through the continued absence of her birth father that she will have hard questions like this in the future. Despite the absolutely wonderful father she has now in my husband, the tears of confusion and insecurity will have the ability to plague her heart. I have and will continue to pray against this. This song did such an outstanding job of simplifying the web of emotions behind such a heart and it touched me deeply. There are far too many children from broken homes today, but that simply means that we need not forget to address their hurts with validation and consolation through their Father who will never abandon them.

"Lord, I pray your hand of protection over our children. I pray that your secure and loving arms will be an ever-present comfort to their hurting hearts. I pray for the ability to be parents that reflect your love and not our own sense of pain. Dear God, one day our children will have the ability to speak their heart's hurt and I pray that they are confident enough in our love for them that they will speak it to us and we pray for the wisdom to be exactly what they need in that moment. Lord, we love you and thank you that you are not plagues with sin and selfishness as we are. Thank you that we can trust you to be everything you have promised...for all eternity. Amen"

Edie Carey

Thu, 19 Jan 2006 18:26:00 -0600

Purchase her CD When I Was Made at http://cdbaby.com/cd/ediecarey4

Visit her website at http://www.ediecarey.com/

You can hear the "Now Playing..." featured song If I Start to Cry at http://cdbaby.com/mp3lofi/ediecarey4-04.m3u

The title of Edie Carey's third studio release, "When I Was Made," is a helpful key when listening to this lush and intimate new collection of songs. Creation is a theme that reappears throughout the album, most notably in the rolling, mesmerizing "Chemistry," inspired by Shelley's Frankenstein, and in "If I Start to Cry," in which Carey asks some of the hardest questions a child can ask of a father: I'm just like my mother / And if you don't love her / What does that mean about me? But the album title also seems to point to her own re-making of herself as an artist. From the first vibrant moments of "With Our Hands," it is clear that Carey has taken a mindful step in a rather different musical direction. This is by far her most countrified recording to date, with its liberal sprinklings of banjo, pedal and lap steel, and dobro throughout. Yet, it's not so much the instrumentation that's changed, but her tone. There is an almost palpable maturity and depth in her voice that can only come from three years of rigorous touring and simply growing up. She sounds so at home on this record, so laid back, and yet fierce at the same time. Carey is more confident than ever, and she is not afraid to take her sweet time carving out her stories right before your eyes.

Thinking outside the box...

Thu, 19 Jan 2006 17:50:00 -0600

Another profound quote escaped Shayla's lips this afternoon while we were listening to the Narnia soundtrack. She made my heart smile...

"I like this music...not the words...well, I DO like the words but I REALLY like the music without the words...because it feels like freedom."

Unexpected blessings...

Sat, 14 Jan 2006 21:59:00 -0600

Well, we have been keeping busy on the homefront. With hubby starting his pator internship at our church, the car has been around a lot less then when he was solely running the home-based business, but it seems we have been able to get out of the house more often. Funny how that seems to work.

Today we went to downtown Chandler for the Multicultural Festival. It was a great day. We spent about four hours there and made out pretty well! It was free admission, although we did pay for luch which was a taco-style fry bread and a sweet fry bread for dessert. The man running the booth had John 3:16 posted on his banner so that often sways us in the direction of supporting those fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It happens that this gentleman was a widower. His wife died two years ago, and as he says with a smile, "She left me with three girls and her fry bread recipe...what more could I have asked God for?"

We went to an oral presentation of the history of Chandler that was performed by a character actress. It was very good because it held the attention of our children. We were actually the youngest couple in the group...I think everyone else was over fifty. It reminded of how our society has drifted so far away from grabbing the wisdom of our elders. I want our children to see that we really can learn from the past and those who have been there first.

We got to watch performances by Samoan (sp?) dancers that included all the island shaking of the hips and beating of the chest as well as a fire dance. We watched a Babylonian dance as well as a dance from Mexico in all their beautiful dresses. As it was wrapping up and we were heading out, they made an announcement that the library was having a sale on all the books they brought out to sell. Get this...$2.00 for all the books you could fit in a box! It was great! We walked away with 24 National Geographics...almost all of them have maps in them which is why I grabbed them up for schooling, as well as about 50 others. Great family day!

Cutest quote ever!

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 21:42:00 -0600

My daughter, Shayla, captured my heart a few moments ago when I was typing up my homesteadblogger entry. While grasping a new book in her hand she turned to me and said, "You know Mom, I love the way this feels. It feels so good to grab a book like this because you never know what is inside or what you are going to find."

Now, that was just a perfect desciption of my love for books...

Moving to the caretaker's cottage

Sun, 8 Jan 2006 00:10:00 -0600

Just a wee note to tell anyone who might wonder...

I am posting most of my entries at homesteadblogger these days because most of what I post here is relevant to that site. I will probably be duplicating several entries over on homesteadblogger because they are more applicable there. Should I have any homeschool goodies I will come by here and post them; however, my inexperience isn't the greatest asset to this community! Ha!

Diacritical markings/phonics/spalding...what's the difference?

Tue, 3 Jan 2006 15:24:00 -0600

Does anyone have any feeling in particular about diacritical markings and spalding methods? My daughter learned to read with the spalding method (outside of the fact that we were reading in our home consistently) and I am wondering what the supporters /opposers of these methods may have to say. We use the Weaver curriculum as our core and they speak of diacritical markings for the vocab and spelling words we implement. I have not used them because it seems that it would take a teacher to understand all the different markings! Shayla doesn't appear to be lacking in her reading skills and she enjoys reading very much. However, we are looking toward teaching our youngest to read in the next year and I would like to make a more informed decision. We will be using Read 1-2-3 by Weaver which is a phonics based program and I will be considering implementing other methods based on research and recommendation. Please do share your wealth of knowledge!

A Walk Through Bethlehem

Mon, 26 Dec 2005 23:26:00 -0600

We went to visit a live nativity at a local church and it was such a great experience! Take a look...

1. We all received a coin which we had to pay to the Roman guards in taxes in order to get through the city gates.

2. The angels appeared to the shepherds and told of the birth of Jesus Christ.

3. The Roman soldiers herded us through the city gates demanding the tithes and census forms be received or there would be no entrance.

After entering the city, we were greeted by many merchants eager to sell us their beautiful goods (they were not really for sale - rather for show so that we would know how they must have taken advantage of this influx of people in order to market their merchandise).

1. Lillian enjoys a swing outside of the local carpenter's shop.

2. Shayla proves that she is worthy of a job at the local olive oil press.

3. The girls marvel over the oil lamps and chatter excitedly to the shopkeeper about how they made their own.

4. A fabric merchant adorns the girls with expensive cloth for sewing.

5. Shayla proudly displays a menorah.

6. The fisherman stands alone after enthusiastically offering the girls to touch and see the fine fish he caught.

1. We enter into the Temple to hear the prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ.

2. And as we venture through the town looking for a place to stay, we are told that Mary and Joseph are staying in this couple's manger!

3. We quickly enter in to see for ourselves.

1. The girls enjoy a petting zoo with chicks, goats, sheep, and rabbits tended by local shepherd boys.

2. The "Walk Through Bethlehem" takes place each year at Crossroads Nazarene Church.

3. Here we are after just enjoying a free cup of cocoa and a cookie. What a great tradition - and it was all free...just like our salvation!

Taking the time to take time management seriously

Fri, 16 Dec 2005 00:31:00 -0600

So I haven't blogged much in the last week and I must say that my house looks better than it has in quite a while! I read a lot of convicting blogs regarding the amount of time being spent in the blogosphere and how easily, and seemingly rapidly, time is lost. I must agree that I haven't been the best at managing my time and I allowed the "me time" aspect of blogging to interfere with being everything God had for me. Satan has such a sneaky way of taking something that can be so beneficial as journaling and twisting it into something selfish. Therefore I have been praying specifically about the time I spend on the computer. I don't feel that God is telling me to give it up, but I am certain that my entries will remain sporadic moreso than consistent over the coming weeks or months.

I need to be more focused and purposeful when I get on the internet. My main focus is almost always something very intentional but then I think about something else I had been wanting to look up or a blog I had been wanting to catch up on - and inevitably for me I will always link from one blog I like to one of their friends! I just get sucked into the web we weave.

Tonight I caught up on all the paperwork scanning and cleaning up the homeschool area. Today we even managed to have enough time and energy to let Cruella (our bunny) out of the cage to hop around like a wild bunny! She was SO happy! Over the past week, aside from recovering from this whopper of a sickness, we have managed to make another batch of soap, sew up some bath satchels, make a papier mache hot air balloon, introduce Shayla to multiplication (without anxiety!), implement a "recommendation" from Dandelion Seeds' site (I'm not spelling it out for you!), and actually read about two and a half books - not to mention the fact that I have been able to read about three chapters each morning for devotional time instead of my recent struggle to get through one! Oh, and did I mention that my house is actually quite clean right now?? - Okay, okay, I know I did but it is so rewarding to say and see! I can't believe the things we have accomplished by taking time management seriously.

We have also been so blessed in the last couple weeks by God's provisions. He really never ceases to amaze us, but the rate at which he appears to be pouring His blessings in this area is blessedly overwhelming. We are so thankful to God for allowing us the ability to continue to maintain the blessings He's given us. So, things on the homefront are wonderful and I just wanted to send out an update.

In the next couple days we plan to make taffy, carmel corn, popcorn balls, and finish writing out those Christmas cards (yes, we are always late on the cards). I am actually joyfully looking forward to tomorrow's school day - and that's a beautiful thing!