All That Jazz - Homeschool Blogger

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:54:00 -0500

My son Mrdarci tagged me, so I'm being a good mommy and playing. Here are my answers:

What is your favorite book of the Bible? Ephesians and Proverbs

What are you most afraid of?    Rats!

What makes you the maddest?    People who are whiney-heiney and expect everything in life to be easy, fun, always perfect, and just generally cushy.

What do you think is the worst kind of evil?    Whatever is slapping me in the face at the time...

What would be considered your theme song? Too many to choose from.

If you had to choose a villian to team up with, who would it be?   Tom, as in Tom and Jerry.

Do you think this Tag was creepy? Creepy may be a bit strong, but definitely dark??

I Am Speech Impaired...

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 12:39:00 -0500

It has recently become apparent that I am speech impaired... But only in some parts of the globe, mind you. I have always known that I cannot roll my R's. It's come up mostly when singing. But as long as I slipped in a little bit of a "D" sound, I could fake manageably well. I never saw it as any big deal.

Fast forward to this year when we as a homeschool family commence to learn the Spanish language. With a high schooler who is college-bound, foreign language is a necessary and needful subject. So yesterday we are listening to the CD with the examples of how to pronounce the Spanish alphabet sounds. Suffice it to say that the inability to roll my R's is a much larger issue when trying to speak Spanish!

We all had a great laugh imagining how it would have gone for me if I'd been born only a few hundred miles south! I would have found myself landing squarely in speech therapy I'm sure. We, with many a chuckle, concluded that Mom has a Mexican Lisp! I don't know which made them laugh more... the conversation at hand, or my pathetic failures at the Crash-Course for How to Roll Your R's? Both were quite humorous my children will assure you!

Incidentally, I have never for the life of me understood why the word "lisp" was chosen as a title for that affliction... A person suffering from this malady is in no way, shape, or form able to enunciate the very thing that he/she is diagnosed with! It seems to my way of thinking that "lisp" should have been the absolute last resort as a title for this particular condition.

In thinking through my particular circumstances, my high school son deduced that we should change the title of my apparent difficulties. It should more closely match the predicament that "American lisp" sufferers endure. So in keeping with that premise, I could say that I have a "Rarrrrrr." Make sure and roll those R's like crazy as you say it! And if I'm trying to say it, it will come out more like "Rdard."

So Mexican Lisp, or Rrarr, or Rdard... Any way you cut it, I have it!!! I guess it's kind of like the song "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere." Just imagine it instead as, "You've Got a Speech Impediment Somewhere."

No News Isn't Necessarily Good News

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 15:39:00 -0500

Have you noticed I've been gone awhile? I have! Unfortunately I haven't been gone on a whirlwind vacation to the beaches of the Riviera or anything glamorous like that. I have been here in the trenches and I thought I'd give an update of sorts and write out some of the lessons/struggles from living what feels like a life under siege.

If you've read my blog from the past months, I have had a few entries that dealt with some of the financial struggles we've endured as my husband has been working to get his business off the ground. And you know this is something that we have prayed for God to make His plans and ways for us clear. And honest to goodness, every time we pray that prayer, what comes across our path in relation to his business is to keep hanging in there. So we've done that and kept waiting for the struggles to lighten up somehow. And at this point, we are just hanging on by a thread! This has been a real spiritual test for both my husband and me. It is literally a minute by minute struggle to obey the words of Jesus when He tells us not to worry. In fact we have really had this come to the forefront for our whole household as to what exactly "not worrying" looks like. Where is the line between taking the steps the Lord wants us to take- doing our part, but also resting in Him? For the life of me, we just can't figure it all out! We've done everything we can think of to do. We've put out resumes- nothing. We've cut expenses until there's nothing more to cut- still drowning. We have prayed and prayed until we are blue in the face. And sadly, it usually goes something like this:
Us: Dear Lord, we know you know our needs. We present our struggles to you. Please help us with this.
Please let ABC go through/happen. ( Much annotated version)
Then, you guessed it, instead of the ABC scenario, we get the XYZ occurrence, the exact opposite or exactly what we were desperately praying wouldn't happen!

Needless to say, this has all been very unnerving and made prayer quite daunting at times. However there are some conclusions that I have come to here at the end of my rope.
1) I am resolved to simply praise Him. Whatever happens, it doesn't change his greatness, power, majesty, goodness, etc. To put it like the movie Facing the Giants says, I'll praise him when we win, and I'll praise him when we lose.
2) Even though there are plenty of times that coming to prayer is more than a little difficult, and there are times that I really have to lay my questions before him and pray for him to help me in my unbelief even, I still feel peace from having done that. If for nothing else, prayer has accomplished that.
3) This whole experience has taught me just how precarious life can be. Before, when John was bringing home the healthy paychecks, I always thought myself grateful and I would have said that I realized God was my source. Now? I realize how little I depended on God then. I assumed/knew the check would be in the bank. No prayers needed, right? Wrong! Money is easy come, easy go. None of us knows what tomorrow holds. Yes, we plan and try our best to prepare. But that doesn't mean that any of us are immune to the unexpected or even catastrophic from happening. A while back I was in Sunday School and the lesson had to do with Proverbs and how that speaks to finances. And it was very hard to sit and not scream! Over and over I heard:
"I know _______ can happen and catch you unprepared and you can find yourself in trouble. But if you would have only... then that wouldn't have been a problem."

Yes, that is indeed true and the reason why we should take preparedness very seriously. But we never need to lose sight of the fact that we are finite. Our bank accounts are never limitless. Our abilities are not guaranteed. Our resources can be tapped out because we have limits to what we can do and what we can handle. In short, we are NOT God! Only he is boundless, never toppled, never failing. It's like we think that by following God's principles, then that will make us like him. Yes, there is protection in living according to God's principles, but we will never take on his omnipotence.

Thanks for listening if you've made it this far. I feel better just getting a little of this down on "paper" so to speak. I've asked for prayer here before, and I ask again. Would you please pray for us whenever God brings us to your mind? We could surely use it. I the mean time, I keep waiting, praising him when I win, and praising him when I lose.

Kim

In Answer to your Question

Tue, 27 May 2008 19:32:00 -0500

Sherena asked for more details about our science curriculum that I spoke of in my last entry. I thought I'd just answer her question here so I could go into a little more detail.

First of all, yes, the Apologia is a complete curriculum for the year. The upper courses come with tests, study guides, cummalative unit tests, etc. The only thing that isn't automatically included when you purchase the curriculum set is a schedule. However the author says that each unit (With only a few exceptions) should take about two weeks to finish. And if that's not definite enough, there are numerous schedules that I've been able to find on the internet or to purchase. We've just always taken it at the pace that my son could effectively learn and left it at that.

For the elementary courses, there aren't tests included, but I have found the notebooking pages which allowed me to keep tabs on their learning. And especially with them being in elementary grades, I just haven't stressed over not having tests. I'm not very big on workbooks anyway, so that's fine with me.

As for scope and sequence, for life sciences, it does a great job of covering the basics and a whole lot more. The only thing with the elementary sciences is that I don't see physical sciences covered. But that does come in the Apologia course that is recommended for approximately eighth grade. And true to Apologia form, it is very thorough. Also at the high school level there is a physics course, but we're not there yet, so I can't really comment on that.

I see it as being more than a unit study approach. With unit studies you incorporate many subjects into what you're studying. And that's not the focus of these courses. Yes, I've pulled in writing, but that's not a part of its foundation. It is a stand-alone subject I think. And the materials definitely cover a complete year. There is probably someone out there who has done it much quicker- I'd like to shake their hand, because it certainly isn't our family!

I hope that helps? If not, just keep asking me questions and hopefully I can communicate and give a you a clear picture. Sherena, if you weren't so far away, I'd just ask you to stop by and have a cup of tea and look all you wanted at my science stuff. :-)

I love our science!

Sat, 10 May 2008 12:21:00 -0500

I promised I'd tell you some other curriculum items that we use, and here I am! A science that I love, love, love is Apologia. We've tried some others, but when I came to this curriculum, I knew my search was over. I've used a couple of their elementary series, Exploring Creation. We've done Botany and Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day.

I've done the botany with my three youngest children. The topics that are presented are full-on science. This is no dumbed down curriculum! I love that even my littles are learning the vocabulary and language of science, all the while enjoying what they're learning. I've been so impressed with the depth of the materials and how they are explained in such a clear, concise way that even my six year old can grasp it. Lauren did the zoology pretty much on her own this year. She also did the notebooking pages from Jeannie Fulbright's site. I loved seeing her learning and then having a way to present what's she's learned. And it also was a writing exercise that she didn't even realize was making her writing grow as well! (Shhhh! Don't tell her!)

We've also used Apologia's high school materials as well. We've done Exploring Creation with General Science, Physical Science, and this year we've done Biology.

These courses have been very challenging to Johnny and I've seen tremendous growth in his ability to tackle more difficult, mature studies. It is deep, meaty material that has caused my son to reach beyond his status quo and really apply himself.I think these skills will serve him well in whatever he decides to do in the future.

The only problem is that I'm jealous... I just wish I'd had books like these when I was in school! test

What Curriculum Do You Use?

Thu, 1 May 2008 14:42:00 -0500

If you're a homeschooler, I bet you get asked all the time what curriculum you use. I do too, so I thought I'd share some of the things I use in our educational adventure. Whenever people ask me that question I usually answer, "Sonlight."

That is where we spend the lion's share of our time working. It covers our history, geography, Bible, reading, and literature. It is a literature based program... That means that it incorporates great literature to bring the history, geography, etc. to life. Some of the books are actual texts, some are reference books, some are fictional. But they all work together to teach educational and spiritual concepts. Sonlight has always done such a good job of picking the type of books I would have chosen on my own- if I'd taken all that time to dig, sort, and search for such gems. Even before my homeschooling days I always tried to find books and/or stories that reinforced what I was teaching my children. I know when you're on your own trying to find all these wonderful books, you often have to wade through many not-so-wonderful books. So I'm very thankful to have all the researching and looking done for me. My children have always loved our books and take great joy from them. Many, many times at dinner time when we're going around the table giving our favorite part of the day our Sonlight time is what's mentioned. That makes for one happy homeschool mom!

Now Sonlight isn't a set of workbooks, and sometimes I've encountered people who were not all that impressed with my just reading a bunch of books to my children. But that has never lasted long when they get a chance to actually talk to my children about what they're learning! They hear how my children are understanding what we're learning. They are seeing the enthusiasm my children have for learning. Usually by the time my kids are done talking with them, even the naysayers themselves are thinking that workbooks are pretty lame! Now don't get me wrong, we do our share of workbooks, and there are some really great ones out there. However that's just not where we devote most of our educational energies.

As for the nitty-gritty of how we utilize Sonlight, we do three cores (levels if you will) of Sonlight every year. My oldest is finishing his second year of in-depth World History. He is pretty independent with his reading. I do spot checks to insure that he's got a handle on what he's learning. And thus far he has always surpassed the bare minimum of my expectations because he enjoys the materials so much.

Lauren has been studying the Eastern Hemisphere in Core 5. I have had such fun learning with my children. Before our studies, I had been taught where these countries are, and I was pretty proud that I remembered all that geography and actually knew a little something about such far-reaching locales. But Sonlight goes so much further than just the bare facts. My children have learned about the cultures, the history, AND the basic facts!

Joseph and Landry are studying Core 2 together. It is an introductory course in World History. I love seeing them learn together. Nothing makes this homeschool mom's heart prouder than to hear them out in the yard pretending they are knights and ladies, or pharoahs, or Spartans.

Sonlight is certainly not the only curriculum we use, but it is the driving force of our learning. So much centers around the particular historical periods we are studying. It does take a lot of time reading so much to my children, but it does work for us. They love it and so do I!

Happy teaching,
Kim

I Can Hardly Contain My Excitement!

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:32:00 -0500

Guess where I'll be one short week from today???

CONVENTION!!!!!!!!!!!

I haven't always gotten so excited about homeschool conventions. In fact for the first three years of my homeschooling adventure I didn't even go. I thought that since I already read tons on homeschooling, I didn't really need to take time away from my then toddlers to go. However at the end of three years, I was actually feeling more than a little burned out. We had just come off a year of having my older two children gone one day out of each week to a special program for gifted children. Plus we'd added a co-op to our schedule. (It finally dawned on me why I was feeling so stressed- trying to cram five days of work into three tends to cause more than a little anxiety!! DUH!!) I also had two toddlers to keep me busy, and I was really searching for ways to keep them involved at their level- there just wasn't enough Mommy to go around. My oldest was finishing up fifth grade, and let's just say that writing was not his thing and leave it at that! I was seriously wondering if he was needing a conventional classroom to provide motivation that I just was seemingly unable to draw out of him. By the end of that crazy year, it was time for some serious soul searching! So convention was one of the things that I felt would offer some insight as to where our family needed- if I could really do this thing called homeschooling.

Right off the bat the keynote speaker totally re-energized my commitment to homeschooling. It was so good to have a reminder of all the reasons we had decided to homeschool in the first place. And of course I was in every single writing workshop offered. (Incidentally, that particular year had more writing than I think I've ever seen in all the years since then.) I think God knew what this mama needed! It was so reassuring to realize that I didn't have to turn out an instant writer by next week! We could take things in steps focusing on only one skill at a time. And it was so enlightening to be able to for once think of it from my child's point of view. Writing is something that always came easily for me. That was not a subject that I had struggled with- there were subjects that were difficult to me, it just wasn't writing! So it was just what I needed to hear others share their experiences of how they had once been the struggling writer and how they had gotten past their difficulties. I came home a new, refreshed woman. My husband couldn't believe I was the same second-guessing, fearful, intimidated woman he'd known a few days earlier. I will forever be thankful that I went to that convention- it literally changed our family.

Since then I've gone to everything my convention has to offer. I consider it my professional development days. But don't think it's all work and no play! It's also my time to have a wonderful couple of lunches with good friends- and I don't mean a picnic at the Nature Center or the park! And for those who are so inclined, there's even a liberal dose of "retail therapy!" You can stock up on curriculum for the next five years! That's not my style though... I always just want to closely scrutinize all my options- to touch them... and feel them... and see them in person, and maybe gab with someone who's actually used them. To me it's kind of like a homeschool curriculum petting zoo. With all this, what more could a girl ask for?

If you haven't gone to your convention or if you're feeling less than pleased with some aspect of your homeschooling, then my advice is to make sure you don't miss convention. It may not meet you exactly at your point of need- I realize it is not a cure-all. However I would be willing to bet (figuratively speaking!!) that it certainly won't hurt!

So...Is convention a big deal to you? Or are you wondering what all the hoopla is all about? I'd love to hear your experiences and thoughts... and at this time of year, 'Tis the Season!

Happy teaching,
Kim

Homeschool Advice You'll Never See Anywhere Else

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:57:00 -0500

In my almost six years of homeschooling, I have learned something that I have never seen addressed in any homeschooling guides, workshops, articles, etc. So I thought I'd just take a little quick detour and offer something that has made my homeschooling journey a little easier, brighter, and more enjoyable for me and my children.

Are you ready for the big secret???? Okay, now brace yourself... It's a big one. Drum roll please........................
(Audience anxiously awaits while time itself seems suspended.)

My big contribution to the wealth of homeschool expertise and tips is:

Learn to read out loud very well.

Earth shattering, isn't it? I know, it's not really. But I've been thinking about this, and even as of late I've seen the importance of reading with feeling, with energy, with passion. This came glaringly into the spotlight just recently with my high schooler of all people. His biology tests were not as stellar as we were anticipating. So we went over study tips, and I made sure he was in fact dedicating the necessary time for study, etc. And while he did see some improvement, it just still was not where he wanted it to be. Soooo... Then we began really looking hard and heavy to find a solution to this problem. We pulled out the big guns. He did biology with Mom! I started out just as I'd done when he was younger- Mom read, we talked, he understood, everyone was happy! And that was working for him. But then one day, my voice was tired, so I asked him to do the honors- reading, that is. And all of a sudden, BOTH our eyes were glazing over! That same text that had seemed so reasonable and forthright just a few moments earlier seemed to turn to Swahili right before my very ears! So I screeched on the proverbial academic brakes. (Fee free to interject your own sound effects here if it makes the story more enjoyable!) Put it in reverse and try that paragraph one more time, Son! When he slowed down and really read it, voila! We were back once again on the road to something that could be learned and digested. As time went on, sometimes Johnny would read (or I would read), and it just wouldn't sound right- things started sounding a little Swahili-ish again. We found that if we just stopped and perhaps put emphasis on a different word within the sentence, it usually made all the difference in the world.

This experience with Johnny really got me thinking. I related to him how as an accounting major back in college, those texts could be less than fascinating at times. And when I focused on remembering, I realized that by adding just a bit of drama to my reading, it helped me understand and comprehend what I was trying to learn.

I also remembered an incident in our own family that had planted the beginnings of this idea in my mind. One evening we had a friend of Johnny's spending the night at our house. At family devotion time, we always had someone read devotions out loud. And that night our guest, Trevor wanted to read our material. Bless his heart, but it was just as dry and monotone as could be! And I found my mind drifting no matter how hard I tried to focus on what he was saying. I remember when the discussion time came, I was so shocked that my little ones could relate back any of what had been read. These are just two examples that have brought to the forefront of my mind the importance of how we read to our children, to others, and even to ourselves!

As for advice on how to make this wonderful, rich learning happen when you read, I would say first of all, SLOW DOWN! When we are reading silently to ourselves, we don't read at the same rate that we talk. So when we read aloud, we shouldn't be reading at the same pace that we use when we are reading to ourselves. Think of the pace that you'd want directions given to you to accomplish some task- how to make a new recipe, work on the car, assemble something, etc. We all do better when those instructions come nice and slow, don't we? Well so do our children! If you think about it, when we read out loud (or even to ourselves), we're giving our listener instructions(whomever that may be!). Granted it's not how to bake a cake, but it is what the setting was like... What the characters did... Or even what occurs during photosynthesis, or what the Gettysburg Address was all about. We're providing instructions for some bit of knowledge that we want our children to store in their brains- which parts are the key points or main ideas of what we're reading. So we need to slow it down!

Another thing that I do is to think about people I've known who were really good at telling stories. Personally, I've thought of that amazing lady at the library who could hold a room full of preschoolers spellbound as she read because she poured herself into her reading. On more than one occasion, I've remembered good old Mr. Rogers and how much I loved hearing him read and talk when I was younger. Audio books can also give inspiration as to how to make something easier and more enjoyable to hear. It may feel a little silly, but I bet your children will enjoy their learning and will have better comprehension with just a little more energy in your reading.

A funny personal story: My children are perfectly used to my Library Lady impersonation. However when we were in the doctor's office or somewhere out in public, I tended to tone down the dramatics. (Even a homeschool mom has to have a little dignity, right??) But my little sweeties never let me get away with that! They always said with much disappointment, "No, Mommy! That's not the way. Please read it the right way?" And of course, I did what any dedicated homeschool mom would do. I sacrificed myself and read it the right way! As an aside, you may not leave with your dignity if you give in to reading it the rightwill leave with a horde of admiring preschoolers! (Voice of experience here!!)

I don't know exactly why reading with feeling makes such a big difference, but it does. Maybe it's that it takes the academic and adds an emotional, relational level to learning? When we read with energy, we show emotions just the same way we do in the context of our relationships. And that is very real, very personal! My own theory is that this is a tangible example of our enthusiasm for the material we are teaching. Our voice, our face, our body language demonstrates that what we are reading about is engaging. It shows that our learning is important and that we place a high priority on it. We naturally give our energies to those things that we find exciting and/or important. And when we turn up the energy with our reading, we show our children that learning is just that: exciting and important!

I know this is a seemingly little thing, but what a difference I've noticed in our homeschooling experience! If there's anything that can ramp up your learning, I think this is it. So the next time your child is just not "getting" something, give it a try. Just pretend you're Ms. Frizzle, Mr. Rogers, or any other dramatic, interesting person you can think of, and try reading it like you mean it! I'd love to hear about it if it works for you. And if it doesn't, you can let me know that too and I'll be happy to put you in touch with my own Personal Preschool Fan Club. They'll help soothe your bruised ego if you need it!

Happy Reading,
Kim

Where's the Balance?

Sun, 6 Apr 2008 21:02:00 -0500

I don't know if anyone else has encountered this in church life across America, but I have been thinking and thinking on what it means to reach out to a post-modern generation and what that looks like exactly. I have heard such a scramble to change this and change that- we've got to be MORE hip, MORE current, MORE today. Does that ring a bell with anyone?

I know that God does expect us to step outside our comfort zones. We will definitely have to extend ourselves and try to identify with the people we want to reach. And I want to do that. I also believe strongly that whatever we offer the Lord should be our very best effort. Whatever we do at church should not be lazy. And I have definitely seen the mentality of expecting God's anointing to fill those places of zero preparation, no practice, no planning or forethought. And while God certainly does prove Himself strong in our weaknesses and fill our frailties, it never brings Him glory when we don't do our part of what He has for us.

But it seems to me like perhaps the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction. I've heard of whole conferences on how to make your church more hip, younger, more urban. I'm sure their hearts are about being a witness for God, but it seems like there's much worldliness in this view. I know that a church with good music, a wonderful children's program, a really happening youth department may indeed attract people who would not otherwise go to church. But in my opinion, this can never, ever replace the basics. People respond to love, not programs. Just because you're the slickest show in town, that may or may not indicate a higher level of caring, servanthood, and authenticity. Christ called us to be the last three items on that list, not used car salesman, with a bad toupee slick. We can have the best programs imagineable, but if we're not living according to these verses, then we've put the cart before the horse.

"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." John 12:32
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16
"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35

Every time I hear the spiel about how horrible it is if we're "stuck in the 80's (be sure to insert the proper degree of whining to achieve the implied effect), I think of these verses and think about the ways Jesus changed the world. He had twelve men that he poured Himself into- and they were not the jet-set, to be sure. His ministry was anything but glitzy, showy, or glamorous. He served all the way to the cross- even to the point of tasks of abject slavery- and that's exactly what He told us to do in no uncertain terms. I haven't read anywhere that He commanded us to be the coolest, the hippest, the trendiest. He told us to Love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We must do this first- not be centered on glitz and glam!

It is a paradox: Be concerned about excellence in all you do. But when it comes down to it, it's your heart that really matters, not the stuff. I believe BOTH matter to God... Both/and; not either/or. What are your feelings and experiences in this matter? Is anyone else noticing or being challenged by this new trend that is developing? Is anyone else encountering this? Or is it just in the circles that I am in? I just wanted to air my opinions on this. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Peace,
Kim

A Bit of Good News

Fri, 4 Apr 2008 18:34:00 -0500

Happy Friday!
I cannot believe it's April, and I'm having to check the wind-chill to see if my children can play outside! As much as I love Missouri, this cold weather is not one of my favorite aspects. This Louisiana girl is just a cold weather wimp!

Some interesting things have been happening over the past few weeks. I've put out a few feelers looking for some ways to bolster our income. I've been looking for jobs accompanying on the piano. And God is blessing on that front! Praise God! Thank you all for praying- I just wanted you to know that those prayers are being answered!

And one other thing that I've been praying for that I haven't ever shared about, but is VERY exciting to me... I've always enjoyed writing, and wished that I could find some way to do that and get paid. My college professor in my business writing class had advised me way back then that I should look into writing copy. So I've always had that bouncing around in the back of my brain. And lo and behold, I've had something dropped in my lap! My husband has a business primarily designing and creating web-sites, with some print and promotional products thrown in for good measure. He recently had a client that needed copy written, so he asked me if I'd like to take a stab at it. And to make a long story short, I am now an official, published copy-writer! I have no idea if any more will come my way, but I'm sure praying.

We're really seeking something to bring in some extra money that will not interfere with our homeschooling. So we'll just see where this takes us. But I did want to share this bit of excitement with my own little bit of the cyber-world.

Be blessed and WARM!
Kim