This is the homeschooling journey of an Apostolic family in the Windy City! We have seven children (so far), so there is always alot of excitement around here! Unit Studies are our curriculum of choice and we will post lots of pictures of the fun. Thanks for visiting and come back again soon! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:39:00 -0500 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:39:00 -0500 I recently watched a newer version of the Ten Commandments on DVD.  This version was very different from the Charlton Heston movie of decades ago.  The writer/producer was careful not to glamorize the story and it seemed that they made somewhat of any effort to keep the story as scripturally accurate as possible.  This is in no way an endorsement of the movie, I mention it for the light-bulb moment that I had while watching it. While in the wilderness, there were certain persons, who at certain times, decided that the God of Moses was not Who they wished to follow.  When judgment fell on them it adversely affected their entire household. Everyone; husband, wife, children, was judged as one unit.  But it really struck me while I watched the film that the children suffered the same judgment as the parents.  The director included them in the shots as well.  When the parents made an erroneous, bad, or ungodly decision - the children suffered the same judgment as they did! I found myself thinking about our children.  I thought about the many decisions that their father and I make daily.  If we make bad financial decisions, our children suffer lack with us.  If we make bad marital decisions, our children suffer the affects of an unhappy or broken home just as we will.  This is easy to see, but what happens to the children when parents make spiritual decisions that are wrong or worse, sinful? The most important decision that any human will ever make is what do I do with my soul?  Because of its importance, it can potentially be the most dangerous type of decision to make.  One can't be flippant about spiritual matters.  This isn't the time to "shoot from the hip".  In scripture, Jesus tells us that it is important that we "count up the cost" of discipleship.  (See Luke 14:25-33)  You may say, my decision is my business.  Yes and NO!  We cannot be so naive as to believe that the way we choose to answer the above question will not affect our family. Have you heard the adage: "What you do speaks so loudly I can't hear what you are saying"? When we choose to live a life that is misaligned with scripture, we are also making choices for our children.  When our children decide to follow in our footsteps, even in a small way, then haven't we ultimately led them down a path of destruction?  Aren't we ministers of death for our kids in that way?  It may not be evident for years to come, but I truly believe that parents who choose to live life without God; parents who choose to handle scripture as a smortgasboard, where they can pick and choose only what they want and leave the rest; parents who make haphazard spiritual decisions can't possibly have the best interests of their children at heart. I don't want to be like Israel of old.  I don't want the wrath of God to fall on our children, whether immediate or postponed, because I "chose" not to live right. Don't get me wrong, I choose God and His ways for me.  It's my interpretation of "self-preservation". Just in case I somehow lose that sense of self-importance, though, I am determined to make Godly choices for another reason - for the sake of my children. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/709802/ Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:39:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/709802/ I am officially the mother of eight beautiful children. My husband and I have 2 lovely teen-aged girls followed by six very handsome young men.  I have always wanted eight children, at least that is what everyone tells me.  Ever since I can first remember being asked the question, my response has always been eight.  I don't know why. I don't have any real reason for wanting that number of children.  The truth be told, God is the determining factor of our family size, so whatever number I gave when asked really didn't matter anyway, but I digress. This entry is really about my experience giving birth to child number eight - Christian David King.  Don't you just love that name? I even like the way it sounds backwards - King David (a) Christian! My pregnancy with him was pretty normal.  I made my routine appointments with my OB, ran the regular battery of tests (all of which came back normal), and gained a decent amount of weight.  Two days before delivery I was 140 lbs, not bad.  My due date was Saturday, May 30.  All that week we looked for contractions and when I started having them my eyes were glued to the clock.  After watching for about an hour, they would just stop. Now, I am not one of those women who like to run to the hospital at the first sign of pain. I have a couple of reasons for this: 1. When I make it to the hospital, I am meaning to stay.  There is something discouraging about being worked up for delivery and anticipating the arrival of a sweet little baby, only to be told to go back home.  Uuughhhh!  I have decided that this would not be for me, so I wait until I know for sure! 2.  I am determined to believe that Sue Mize, author of Supernatural Childbirth, is absolutely right that women of God can have children without pain!  Although I have not experienced this at 100%, by the end of this post you will understand why I fell the way that I do.  I don't want to relinquish control of my labor to the doctors and nurses at the hospital.  I need to remain in control for as long as I can, without putting the health of myself and the baby at risk  So, no rushing to the hospital. This is the mentality that I and my husband had coming up to due date.  He kept his cell phone on him at all times, waiting for the 911 text message that meant "read this message as you are leaving the building".  Due date came - no baby, no significant contractions. Okay, no problem.  Surely we will have this baby in the next day or two.  We never miss a due date.  I can set my watch by my body's biological clock.  So that Sunday and Monday we watched and watched and waited and waited.  Nothing.  Tuesday and Wednesday we watched and waited.  Again, nothing. This is a little strange to me.  I can hear some of you saying, "due dates are not an exact science" or "babies are born when they are supposed to be hear and not a minute before", etc.  I know all of that, but still - we just don't do it like this! So I found myself returning to my OB's office on Thursday. My obstetrician, worried that I would have the baby too fast, was pressing for me to have labor induced.  I didn't really take him seriously because we had been through all of this before.  I absolutely refuse to have my labor induced.  I have not yet heard from one woman who, compared to labor beginning and progressing naturally, had anything positive to say about the experience.  I also did not want to schedule my baby's birth around my doctor's vacation schedule.  Know what I mean?  So, I left my appointment on Thursday thinking that I just might have to show up for another appointment in a couple of days.  Not so…    Saturday, June 6 - 3:25 am   I awaken with a strange pain near my navel.  It didn’t feel anything like a contraction so I assumed that I just needed to go to the bathroom.  It is not a strange thing for a pregnant woman to need to empty her bladder – often!  Off I go to the bathroom for just that purpose.  I figured that since I was in there, I may as well move my bowels but my body didn’t seem to want to do that at that time.   I return to my bedroom.  It’s quiet in the house, way too early for any children to be awake, so I decide to review my Supernatural Childbirth scripture list.   3:42 a.m.   Just as I am preparing to get back into bed, I feel it.  This was a real contraction, there was no mistaking it.  This wasn’t the tingly feeling sensation that I had been timing before.  My body was most assuredly making some adjustments and movements.    Quick, look at the clock and make a mental note of the time!   Okay, let’s remember our scriptures and talk through this.   Wow, that contraction lasted a long time.  Breathe.  We made it through…   3:43 a.m.   Is this another contraction?  Oh my….  This is really hurting me.  I can’t seem to remember my scriptures.  I need to start walking, we have to walk through this.   I started walking up and down my hallway in order to gain a sense of control over my body.  I figured that two contractions that close together is okay.  I’ve had contractions close before and then they usually spread out and regulate.  By the time I made it back to my bedroom the second contraction was beginning to end.   3:44 a.m.   I look at the clock in order to get a sense of how long the contractions are lasting.  Just as I do, another contraction hits!  Okay, I think perhaps we should stop playing around and wake up the husband and call the doctor.  So, I wake up my husband, tell him I am having contractions and in a couple of seconds he is out of the bed.  Now, I am trying to figure out how to let him know that this is progressing quickly and painfully!  I don’t want to actually say the words “I am in a lot of pain” because that would defeat the purpose of me commanding my body to do this without the pain through scripture.   My husband goes off to the bathroom and I feel another contraction.  At this point, I am losing control over this quickly.  I still needed to try and walk through it.  For some reason that makes me feel better, but my legs were finding it difficult to stand, let alone take steps.   I go to the banister and call out for our children to get ready to go.  We were taking our 11yo son to the hospital with us for the first time to witness a birth.  The children had been on alert for about two weeks and didn’t think that this was really going to happen.   “Are we really going to the hospital this time or is this another fake-out?” asks my eldest daughter.   “Oh, we are really going,” I reply through the pain.  Why isn’t my family moving any faster than this?  I need to get to the hospital pronto!   I go to the bathroom door.  “Honey, what are you doing?” I ask.   “There’s a fly in here.  I’ll be out as soon as I kill it.”   You have got to be kidding me, I’m thinking.  I really need to relay to him that I am in a hurry.    “Sweetie, I really need to go” I tell him.  “I am having real contractions now.”   “Well how far apart are they?” he asks through the door.   “A minute.”   “How long are they lasting?”   “About a minute!”   “OH!  We had better get moving!”   The bathroom door flies open and out comes a husband who looks as if he finally got the picture.  By this time, that need for a bowel movement had returned.  I returned to the toilet and my body was working with me this time.   I apologize for this, but I have to tell you that this is the best BM ever.  Every time I get the opportunity to go before delivering, I am convinced that my body clears out as much as possible.  This is a good thing because if you ever have to have stitches after delivering a baby, you know how difficult it can be to make a movement after that.  This is why the hospital has you take stool softeners.   I exit the bathroom, take three steps and there’s another contraction.  I barely made it into my room!  This one was going to knock me off of my feet!  My prayers suddenly changed and became most desperate!  I think it went something like “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Oh Jesus!”   I am so glad that God knows the entire prayer that is contained in His Name when you can only get that out!  What I was really praying was:   “Lord Jesus, I am such great pain right now.  This is really hurting me much more than I thought it would.  I believe that it is possible to have a child without pain and I want to experience that so much right now, but I seem to be losing this battle.  Please help me to gain control over this pain or help me to get to the hospital right away so that I can have something to manage it.  I really need you right now!”   I, obviously, couldn’t get that entire prayer out, but I am sure that I was clearly understood.   I decided to go sit down on the bed.  I couldn’t stand anymore.  I had given up trying to time contractions.  I knew all that I needed to know.  I was truly in labor and we needed to talk to my doctor.  My husband was already dressed and was trying desperately to get my doctor on the phone.  The problem was that he couldn’t remember his phone number.  Now, this is a little funny because the same phone number has been dialed for labor with all of our children.  I took the phone from him and pressed in the number, all the while thinking that sitting isn’t working any better than standing was.  I hand the phone back to my husband in order to lift my legs up onto the bed so that I could lay down on my side.   As I am lying down on the bed, I begin to feel a lot of pressure.    “Ohhhhh! I am feeling a lot of pressure.” I say to my husband.  I hear him giving information to the operator of the answering service.   “What?!  Turn over, let me check you!” He answers.    Now, I’m thinking this is a little funny.  I mean, what does my husband know about checking a woman in order to determine if she is ready to deliver?  I know that he has been present at the birth of every child we’ve had, but still…   I comply and let him check me.  “I can see his head, Chanin” he answers incredulously.   “You’d better dial 911,” I reply.  As the words are coming out of my mouth, my baby’s head is coming out of me.   My husband picks up a cell phone to dial 911.   I can hear my doctor on the house phone, “Hello? Hello? Hello, hello, hello?”   “Dr. XXXX – I’m delivering.”   “Right now?” he asks calmly.   “Yes.  The head is already out.”   I feel another great surge of pressure.  I suppose that I was having a contraction then, but I felt more pressure than pain.  By this time, my husband is talking to both the 911 operator and my doctor on two different phones.  I am moaning with the pressure, but didn’t push.  To tell you the truth, I was in shock at the sight of this little head (which I never get to see because of the bedding and protective coverings that the hospital personnel always drapes over my legs) and really didn’t know what to do at that point.   “Is that another contraction?” my husband asks.  I nod my head yes.  “Then push!”   That sounds like a good idea.  I push and the baby comes out.  He just sort of slid out onto my bed.  Then it hits me that I just delivered our baby – at home!  He is screaming and red, with that gray colored gunk on him.  My mommy heart kicked in and I reached for him.  My husband picked him up and laid him on my chest.  He was a little pudgier than I remember the other babies being, but I never really held them immediately after birth.  They were all whisked away to the baby warmer and cared for by a team of Neonatal professionals.  I usually get them back after they were cleaned and swaddled.   This time, however, I was the neonatal unit and I needed to get my little sweetie warmed.   “I need a towel or something, he’s cold!”  All of the blankets that I bought him were in the car along with all of our bags.  We wrapped him in a towel and my husband and children began searching for something to tie off the umbilical cord.  It was at about that time that fire department truck arrived.   Let me explain, in Chicago the fire trucks are always dispatched with a call for the paramedics.  In the event the person(s) needing to be transported are up a flight of stairs, there are strong bodies there to assist.  This happened to be my case.   The firemen are led upstairs to my room by one of our sons and quickly assess the situation.  Upon hearing that we were in need of something to tie off the cord, they announced that they had clamps on the truck.  When they returned with the clamps, instead of taking over and clamping the baby themselves, they handed them to my husband.  With my doctor still on the phone giving instructions, my husband double clamped the chord and reported our condition to my doctor.   At about this time, the paramedics arrived.  After finding out that my husband had already successfully clamped the chord, they cut the chord and prepared to transmit us to the hospital.   “What time was the baby born?” a paramedic asked while completing some paperwork.  Apparently all of this information would be important for the emergency room physicians.   “3:55 am,” came the answer from my doctor over the speakerphone.   It took only 13 minutes for Christian to make his entrance into the world!  And he decided to do it at home! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/709117/ Sat, 18 Jul 2009 10:03:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/709117/ Since my last blog, back in October, I have done alot of praying and seeking for answers.  I've talked to individuals in situations like mine, wiser saints that have already walked this path, and even individuals who don't know my situation by experience but they know the Word of God. It has been a tremendously hard fight for me.  It seems like it shouldn't have been, but it was nonetheless.  Would you like to know the conclusion of the matter? "Wisdom" has said: "Your primary place is in your home.  I've raised 8 little brats and never regretted one day of having them.  I am so blessed now in my old age because they take care of me.  You put everything else on the back burner." "Like Me" said: "You can't worry about what other people will think.  Just smile and do what you know you need to do.  I only had 1 major project going when I was still having babies, other than that I had more than enough with my family to care for." "Knowledgeable" said: "What is your greatest priority of the things that you need to let go?  Find out who can replace you in these areas, who will be committed to the job.  If you can be replaced by someone who will commit to doing the work then you can walk away.  Otherwise, continue until God gives you someone that can replace you.  It will not please God for you to just drop what you are doing." Having taken all of that into account, I have made some tough decisions.  I have decided to resign from Sunday School as a teacher once this baby is born.  That wasn't easy.  I was met with some opposition, but I know that it was the right thing for me to do.  I have no intention of never being a Sunday School member, quite the contrary.  However, to carry the weight of the class is more than I can handle.  There are too many Sundays when, no matter how I try, I can't get my family out of the house that early.  I had to really think alot about that.  Was it because I just didn't want to?  Can I prepare my family for other times we needed to go somewhere early and do it successfully?  Am I giving God less than by best?  When my head finally cleared I recalled that I don't make early morning appointments.  My appointments are always for later than 10:30 am if I have to take any children with me.  If I need to move all of them, that time is moved to after 11:30 at the earliest.  I know how difficult it is to move my clan in the wee hours of the morning. I also have decided not to run for re-election of my Nursery post.  I've talked this over with my chairlady and she more than understands the decision.  Therefore, I will not be resigning from my current position.  I will work until the term is over and then only as I am needed for any particular Sunday's work assignment.  It feels pretty good to know that there is atleast an end in sight. As for Deaf Ministry, the Lord pointed out to me that I have a daughter that is doing quite well in the interpreter's chair.  If I just continue to teach her, I will have raised my replacement in that area.  Better yet, this is someone who is not married and having babies.  Again, I am not resigning from that, but scaling back a little. Finally, there is the Married Couples Committee.  I have seriously considered turning that job over to my very able Assistant.  However, my problem with that position was simply micro-management.  I tried to do too much instead of letting the rest of the Committee do what they were there to do.  Over the past few months I have delegated alot of the responsibility.  To my surprise, there is so much more getting done now than has ever been done before.  I have come to realize that I am part of a team of great workers, with a heart for marriage and family, who only needed to be asked to do something.  I am so blessed to be a part of this group.  As a Committee, we are working on 3 major projects for the next 12 months, when previously we only did one at a time.  I think that my pride needed to be dealt with here. Even though it doesn't seem that I have made any major changes since my last post, I mean I still have the same responsibilities that I had then, alot has been accomplished.  For one, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I know what I will be doing and even how to guard against making the same error of over-committment again.  It still bugs me a little that I can't get other people to understand why I need to do this, but then everyone isn't in the same place right?  I need to understand that others don't understand and let that be okay. So what can I offer to you, the ones with small families who are starting this journey.  1.  Guard against over committment.  Be sure that what you are about to take on is really what you should be doing right now.  Ask yourself if a sense of duty to the Lord is compelling you or a sense of pride. 2.  Don't make any decisions until you have talked them over with your husband first!  So you've prayed about this and really believe that the Lord is calling you to do this.  Remember Eve?  Check with your first line of spiritual authority before agreeing to any job.  Your husband will easily see the obstacles that you can't because you feel a "need" to do something.  Accept his assessment and recommendations.  If he says no, then it's no! 3.  If you are going to take on a responsibility, be clear on what it really entails.  Sometimes that job you think you are about to do isn't really the one that you will be doing.  In more than one instance, I ended up in a leadership role that I didn't originally agree to.  Circumstances changed and there I was - leading.  If it looks like things are getting to be too much then... 4.  Know your exit strategy and try to be as upfront about it in the beginning.  If having another child will make it difficult for you to continue, tell the people that you are working with that in the beginning.  This will remove the feeling of guilt that you are letting them down by your surprise withdrawal. I don't confess to know alot, but I hope that this will be helpful to somebody.  Thanks for all of the great comments that you have posted.  I have thought about much of what has been shared and I am truly thankful to the Lord for your willingness to be so open.  Continue to pray for me and my family, I will remember to do the same. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/654512/ Wed, 4 Feb 2009 12:43:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/654512/ This is one of those entries that is coming from my heart (and I think a little bit from my head) and is really a plea for some feedback from you.  I have been struggling over the past few weeks with something and the truth is I am having a difficult time making heads or tails of this. For years now I have understood the importance of family and my place in my family.  I have been a strong proponent of putting family first and following the biblical blueprint for being a wife and a mother.  Obviously, having our children home to educate them was a decision that my husband and I made in order to disciple them more efficiently.  And yes, it is working.  I do not regret that decision at all.  Nor do I regret being a wife and mother of a large family.  The truth is - I really do love my life! So, where am I having difficulty?  It's in the area of ministry.  Allow me to explain.  First, I know that my primary ministry is to my husband and children.  I know that there is nothing else that can replace my family and my success in any other ministry depends on whether or not I am first taking care of my home.  I know all of this.  But here is my question, how do I know when enough is enough?  How do I decide when I have taken on too much or when what I once did with ease is now overwhelming and I should back out? There are a number of things that I participate in that are extremely important to me.  Each one of them is a form of "ministry" and each one of them is an offshoot of family.  I could work at home and work within these ministries with very little problem (albeit with much planning), but with each new child I am finding it more and more difficult to continue.  Each time I think that I have figured out a way of moving forward, I discover that I am pregnant again.  More than anything I want my large family and would be ecstatic to have 10 or more kids - seriously.  But the closer I get to that goal, the harder it is to hold on to other things that I do. We are not talking about whether or not to continue as the girl scout troop leader, that would be a much easier decision to make.  Instead, I am trying to decide between - Deaf Ministry (only 4 interpreters in the church and I teach the deaf Sunday School class); Married Couples Ministry (I have chaired the committee for the past 12+ years); Nursery Ministry (an elected position with another 2 years left in the current term); occassionally I conduct a workshop in our Youth Church, but that truly is sporadic. See, it doesn't seem like much when listed, but it feels like way too much for me now.  I am concerned that I will either hold on to more than I can handle or that I'll choose to quit something that I shouldn't.  It is welcoming to think that I can just walk away from everything else and concentrate fully on my family, but I don't know if I really believe that.  The idea that God wants us to become inactive in outside ministries when we think it conflicts with family seems like an easy route to slothfulness or laziness.  At the same time, I know that I have to guard myself against things that are good to do when it means that I am not doing what I should at home. I am really having a tough time with this.  I have talked it over with my husband and he feels just as lost as I do.  He feels most of the pressure on his job which is taking a tremendous toll on his family time.  But he can't just walk away from his job.  Help!  Has either of you felt like this?  How did you reach a conclusion?  What scriptures helped you?  I am sure that the answer is already in my head somewhere, but I can't find it.  I don't want to yield to the Lord less than He expects of me, nor do I want to allow pride or my need not to disappoint people to keep me working in places that I need to really let go. Thanks for reading and if you have any insight (even opinions), I welcome them! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/609430/ Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:52:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/609430/ I reached the first milestone of homeschooling - my first graduation!  Wow.  It seemed that I would never see this day, but Saturday it seemed as though this day came waaaayyy too soon.  I suppose that it was easy to ignore the inevitable because we haven't really exerted much effort in the way of maintaining grade levels in our homeschool.  Over time it just seemed that the use of "grades" was such an antiquated idea when neither of our students fit in the prescribed grade level for every subject.  So, we dropped them.  Naturally, this was met with some opposition by well-meaning, inquisitive individuals - you know, the ones who give your children impromptu quizzes to make sure that they are really being educated - but we have learned to get pass them. One area that we did not want to overlook, however, was the necessity of "calling out" our daughters/sons when they reached their late adolescent / early teen years.  Every culture has a time when their children are introduced to society (and particularly themselves) as young adults, though it seems that American culture seriously lacks in this area.  The closest thing to it we could come up with was the "sweet sixteen" which really meant driving privileges.  It would take another hour or so of consistent typing to adequately put down our views on this, so I won't do that now.  Nonetheless, eighth grade graduation offered us the opportunity to embrace this practice in a way that "society" would also recognize our youngster as more than a mere child. It has been only a couple of weeks since we began to formally plan for the graduation.  It began with a telephone conference between the parents of the graduates, each outlining what would be important activities to include in the ceremony.  It was amazing.  Every father felt that this was the time to "Barakah" their graduate and special time was dedicated to that. I can't possibly put down how beautiful an event this graduation was.  I didn't have anything like this when I completed 8th grade.  For one thing, there was no involvement from my parents at all.  Parents had absolutely nothing to do with my education or that of my peers.  My education belonged under the auspices of the state and they "invited" my parents to attend the graduation, but that's all.  Saturday, each parent was involved in this special day.  Each mother had the opportunity to read their child's biography, telling of their strengths and academic accomplishments.  This gave us all the chance to share, in public, how proud we were of the young people our children were becoming.  I think all kids need that.  They need to hear their parents brag on them a little bit. At the conclusion of the reading of their bios, each child was asked to share a unique gift of theirs with everyone.  One graduate played a musical instrument, one did a poetic recitation and my daughter did a dramatic sign language interpretation of a worship song.  They were beautiful and I was so very proud of each of them (especially my baby!).  Oh, the 8th grade graduations also did something that I thought was really precious...  Each 8th grader was given the name of a Kindergarten graduate and they were to write a special message to them prior to the graduation ceremony.  During the graduation, with their messages rolled up like scrolls, the 8th graders "passed the baton of elementary education" to the Kindergarteners!  It was so cute and meaningful.  Wouldn't you know that my daughter drew the name of her own little brother!! I can't remember who came up with the idea - but it was a wonderful one! We then had the keynote speakers address the graduates, one of which was a previous homeschool graduate.  For our support group, she was among the first to complete her education at home and has been a model of purity and holiness for young ladies ever since.  She shared her own feelings of being homeschooled (even those that were negative) and the benefits of having had such an education.  It's one thing for your parents to tell you something and totally different when your peers' message is the same.  Thanks "Tony" for your imput. After the keynote speakers, was the "Blessing Ceremony".  I can't tell you how many tears were shed during this portion of the graduation!  Each father (or representative - explained further down) was introduced and with his wife at his side, called their 8th grader to the podium.  I can't remember the wording for everyone and will put my husband's in a different post (provided I can obtain his and my daughter's permission to do so), but overall they told "blessed" their child with words of affirmation, identity, and destiny.  It is so important for fathers to do this.  There was a visible difference in each of the young people who were so blessed after this. The father of one graduate passed away some years ago.  It was even more important to her mother that her daughter's identity & destiny be confirmed during this graduation ceremony and she asked a male figure who held a special place in her daughter's heart to stand in his place.  What was most moving was the reading of a message that her father penned to her before his death.  He confirmed her identity, told her how special she was to him and her mother and the joy that he felt at her birth.  He shared nuggets of wisdom with her for her to maintain her virtue and how she should conduct herself until she is married.  I am sure that she had read that note many times since her fathers death, but to hear these words spoken to her by her surrogate father (if I may)....  We all cried to hear them. After speaking the blessings over the children, each father introduced them to all as young men/women.  My husband specifically said, "Ladies and gentleman, may I introduce to you B..... King, my daughter in whom I am well pleased!", amidst tears.  I don't know who cried more - him, me, our daughter or the audience?!?! When each of the graduates had been so blessed, a special prayer was prayed over them all, and their parents as well, that God would continue to direct their education into and throughout their adulthood.  Closing remarks were given by our Youth Pastor and the graduation was adjourned.  The graduates all wanted to fellowship together over pizza, so we descended on a nearby pizzeria and just enjoyed the rest of the evening together.  It was such a special day! I wasn't sure that I wanted to be involved in a public ceremony like that.  My original mindset was to keep it private and personal, involving only the family.  I am glad that we did not do that now because I believe that she and the other graduates needed to experience the ceremony publicly.  Unfortunately, noone had a video camera - noone!  I would have loved to view that day over and over and over again.  We do have pictures, but even though they are worth a thousand words they could not possibly portray accurately the emotions experienced that day. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/564891/ Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:06:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/564891/   Well, it's almost time for me to begin making arrangements for our family's vacation.  I'd like to think that I have a better grasp on things than to let them wait until the very last moment, but this year would not be a good year for me to use as an example of my "awesome preplanning capabilities". My daughter is graduating this Saturday, our four oldest kids and I are leaving for camp a week later and I still have no idea how we will celebrate my son's birthday - July 4th!  Last year we had a "staycation", you know - we didn't leave the city, but took in all that the Windy City has to offer.  The above picture is from the day we decided to visit the Adler Planetarium.  I think it's kinda neat that my children's clothing color matches their advertisement! I don't really know what we are going to do this year.  We have put quite a bit of money into our house, updating and winterizing it.  We are nowhere near done with that, so spending alot of money on a vacation just doesn't seem like a good idea.  We've already seen Chicago - I mean WE LIVE HERE!  I am fresh out of ideas.  We don't have a backyard (well its about 13'x7'), so camping out at home is out of the question.  We do have vacation ownership and could use bonus time to stay during our vacation.  The only thing about that is, there is nothing around this place but fields. I am so open to suggestions!  What does everybody else do when money is low, gas prices are high and you really don't want to waste the nine days that your family gets to spend together without interruption?  I know the Lord will help me figure out something.  Now, back to graduation preparation.... http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/554532/ Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:44:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/554532/ It is here - the first real milestone of home educating at KAAH - Ms. Brit's 8th Grade graduation!  I have mixed feelings about the momentous occasion.  On the one hand, I can hardly believe that it has been 8 years since we began this journey.  I still remember sitting on my couch when our first books arrived via UPS. Well, it's hard to forget because I had only arrived home hours before from giving birth to our 4th child.  I was so excited to get those boxes, that I immediately opened them and began pouring through everything!  It was like being a kid in a candy store, except someone had discovered how to send the candy home to the kid!  I should have been in the bed, resting.  I couldn't - I was an "official" homeschooler!!  We didn't have much room in our tiny apartment, but we sectioned off a teeny bit of space in our small living room where I put a small plastic table and two chairs.  Our desk was beside it and I plopped a little dry erase board on top of the desk, got a couple of bookends to hold up the textbooks on my desk and after a quick run to the nearest Teacher's Supply Store, I put a school boarder up on the wall and I was ready. Our first day of school, I walked into the living room and my two students (and their 2 yo brother) sat at the little desk with beaming faces and big "kool-aid" grins on their faces and said with a very loud, preschool voice - "Good morning Teacher"!  I was so proud and excited.  I looked at my desk and wouldn't you know they had even convinced their dad to buy me an apple!! So much has changed since then and even more has remained the same.  Although their adulthood is staring me in the face, in my heart all of my children are still the wrinkly faced little babies that I first looked at in the hospital.  Even when I see Ms. Brit in her cap and gown, I still see my little Nupe Nu Nu (pronounced Nupee New New).  She will die a million deaths if all of her friends read this - LOL!  Seriously though, this time really did come around a lot faster than I expected, even though the older mothers said that it would.  So let me sound really original here, new mothers: hold on to your babies and cherish every moment you have with them.  Because week after next, you will be blogging that your child's 8th grade graduation arrived years before you thought it would - or so it will seem :)! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/543237/ Sun, 29 Jun 2008 21:25:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/543237/ It has been approximately nine years since our family began homeschooling.  Until this past December, we have lived in an apartment the entire time (including the 2-flat that we owned).  Well, now that we are living in a single-family house, we are able to designate a room for schoolwork.      Let me begin by saying that until now, I didn't really think I wanted a "school room".  I really wanted our learning to be so integrated into our family fiber, that learning would happen anywhere & everywhere.  My problem, however, was that my school materials were stored "anywhere & everywhere"!  This was really challenging when it came time to get busy on our next project.  Part of the supplies would be in the front room, some in the kitchen and others on the back porch.  If we started school in the living room, we may need to move to the kitchen for the project - after searching for all of the components, which really means that many projects were postponed or cancelled because of the hassle.  I simply chose a path of lesser resistance to make the same point and we moved on.   When the opportunity arose for me to centralize - I jumped at it!  Combination Library and Schoolroom   This is a photo of the main bookcase which houses most of the materials the children need.  These are Billy Bookcases from Ikea.  The larger corner unit is comprised of the tall bookcases with the additional height extension shelves at the top and just to the left are two of the shorter bookcases.  The Lord truly blessed me when I purchased these (there are more in other parts of the room).  I was able to buy these from other owners on Craigslist for less than half the original price.  Each shelf is organized by subject matter or type of book.  I even tried to be sure that the younger children have a place specifically for their materials towards the bottom where they could reach them. My main goal in planning this space was to keep the room from looking too "schooly".  I wanted our family to enjoy being in the room while we were working on school work and especially when we are not.  I made sure to put pictures of the children on the shelves and walls so that they knew this room was for them.  This photo shows our work table (chairs have been moved for photos) and the other bookcases that complete the library.  The doorway between opens to the living/family room where we gather for group reading and tv.  The family computer is still housed in that room.  Disregard the basket at the top, it serves no purpose there.  That just happened to be an out-of-my-way place for it to land! LOL! I also bought this previously owned conference room table from Craigslist. My husband and I both enjoy reading, so I put our books on these shelves.  Since we are still training the preschoolers not to destroy things, I also put our Nest Family videos and Moody Science DVDs up high on these shelves.   This is the most recent professional photo of our family.  I know, I know, its a shame that there are two faces missing!  We're working on that.  Originally, another bookcase was supposed to be put here, but that little light switch is in too far by about 2.5" so the bookcase had to be relocated. This file cabinet is actually sitting inside of the doorway that leads from the schoolroom to the dining room.  The previous occupants in the home broke all of the glass out of the french doors that belong here, so we took them down for safety reasons.  The file cabinet actually belongs to my husband and he keeps his tools in it now, but he just hasn't quite gotten around to taking it to the basement yet.  I just purchased the corkboard a few days ago and planned to mount it on the wall beside the MOTH schedule, but I forgot that I needed a masonry bit in order to put any hardware on that wall (it used to be a fireplace), so it's just sitting atop the unwanted file cabinet until I can solve this problem.  I need a place to showcase the children's work and accomplishments and this will do just fine.   Student Central  The tall bookcase to the left belongs exclusively to our children.  Each one of them has been assigned their own bookshelf to keep their school supplies.  They are responsible for having the necessary writing utensils, paper and Bibles when we begin our school day.  We used to waste so much time in the morning waiting for kids to "find" something.  This is really helpful because everyone keeps their things in the same area, while giving each one of them space of their own.  This bookcase should have been on the other wall (the one with the badly located light switch), but it is actually better over here because it is out of the way.  The yellow & white door leads to the bathroom, which we are ripping out and redoing - eventually.  This is not my paint job, I inherited it.  We'll paint the place later.   and last, but not least...  The Mommy Corner!   Okay, truth be told, this little corner makes me so happy!  For the first time ever, I have a workspace at home that belongs exclusively to me!  My corner is comprised of the Elfa drawer system to the left, the Elfa desk in the center, and the short bookcases to the right.   This little guy is Brian, my soon to be 4yo!  I don't know exactly what it is he's decided to fight, but he's ready isn't he?  Behind him is my expanded teacher resource center.  The shelves hold my Weaver Volume 1 materials, teacher's manuals and binders and yes, art & printer paper.  On the top shelf are pictures of my students, pointed toward my desk so that I can remember why I am doing this.  Above the bookcases is our master MOTH schedule.  I cut down two large posterboards and wrote in the time slots and squares on them.  Then, I took it to Staples and had them laminated.  The individual squares are cut from cardstock paper and are taped onto the boards.  This is much longer lasting than the paper version that comes with the book and this is much easier to read by my children.  I like to call this "Control Center" because this is where I spend most of my time.  The desk chair we got free, along with five others that the children use, when my mom's previous employer moved offices.  The laptop was a gift from my parents when they upgraded theirs.  I've wanted a laptop for years now, but it just couldn't find its way into the budget.  This one allows me to lesson plan, search the internet for additional resource material and keep records - all away from the rest of the family.  I can even blog without keeping the children from some important school work.   The organizer unit will one day help me organize their school papers, but I haven't felt overly motived lately to set this up any differently.  Between it and my handbag are some homeschool catalogs.  The wooden blinds were another IKEA purchase - $9.99 in the AS-IS section.  I needed to buy a mount from Home Depot for another couple of bucks and I have a very nice window covering!  The window looks out to the backyard and keeps me from feeling like I really am in a corner!   I've tried to keep my desktop relatively clear so that I can study, write, and use my mammoth sized binders to prepare our next Weaver lessons.  The calendar on the wall is supposed to help me stay abreast of our various church, family & support group activities but I don't know how I will ever write on it.  For now, it is screwed into the wall making it impossible to just snatch it down to write on it and hang it back up. For Mother's Day, my children bought me the label maker on the higher shelf.  Of course, I'm still trying to figure out how to work the little thing! LOL!   These shelves hold my most used and important binders.  The lower shelf keeps the Math U See blocks (would hate for those to become the family's new legos), the 1828 Webster's Dictionary, my Teacher's Friend binder for Weaver and my Home Management Binder that I put together myself.  The upper shelf keeps the full Volume binders as well as the supplemental Weaver material.    On the left side of the shelf, I keep my study materials - you know, the things that will keep me from losing my mind!  Since I choose to review the MUS materials, I keep those DVDs close by too! Well, there are only a few little additions yet to be made before the school room is complete.  The children have decided that we should have school colors and paint the school room accordingly.  I have an area rug for the floor that hasn't been put down yet, the french doors still need to be reinstalled and my pre-readers have their own MOTH schedule that needs to be mounted.  I used pictures and digital and analog clocks for theirs.  I figure we may as well teach time while helping them move through the day. <<CHEESE>>! Thanks for checking out my school room.  I really like it alot and I thank the Lord for teaching me the importance of planning with this room.  I would never have been able to take advantage of the extraordinary sales/discounts on the furnishings for this room if I didn't have a written plan for the space and a budget.  I priced everything brand new, so I knew what was a good deal when I saw it.  You know, only the Lord can teach the "teacher" while helping her put together a space to teach!! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/538943/ Sat, 28 Jun 2008 09:30:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/538943/ Wow!  Has it been that long since I entered my last blog entry?  It's funny how the days and the weeks seem to melt into one another.  I am finally coming up for a breath of fresh air after dealing with all types of fevers and colds in my household.  I've decided that since Jesus was never sick, I don't have to be.  (More on that in another blog entry), but my children and my dh seem to be touched with this bug at some point this past week. The most miserable of them all was our littlest member of the family, CTK, who is only 1 yo and is the most pitiful little thing when he is sick. (sob)  It just breaks a mommy's heart...  Aside from that, I have been in the trenches with the family and schooling and, well, you know. So today finds me wrestling with a little project that has been rolling around in my head for a while.  For those of you familiar with the Weaver curriculum, the entire unit study is organized inside of 3-ring binders.  Those of us who have been using it for a while get pretty good at flipping pages and really like having all of our necessary schooling information in one place.  I have now become the lover of  "binders" and I am trying to incorporate this same idea into a "Mommy Binder", if you will.  What I am really trying to do is localize everything that does not relate directly to schooling in a single binder, with school stuff in its own binder.  I have searched all over the web and think that I have a pretty good sense of how to put it together.  As it comes along, I will keep you posted. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/508054/ Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:13:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/508054/ My husband announced to me this past Sunday that it was time for us to take another family portrait.  He wants me to set up a time in March for this monumental family event which, I must agree, is long past due.  The last time we took a family picture only five of our seven children were visible in the photo (I was still pregnant with number 6)!  Suffice it to say, we have let life push and push and push until, four years later, we can put off this photo no longer!   It feels pretty good to look over at the happy, smiling family in the last picture.  There is something in the eyes of the children and the parents that seem to say that this is the best time of their lives.  I find myself trying to remember what was going on in our lives at that time to explain why we looked so happy.  Then I recall that we were probably at one of the lowest points of our lives then.  Both our home and income property were in foreclosure (and were both subsequently lost) and bankruptcy loomed over our head.  I spent many nights in tears before God during that time, but when you look at the picture - none of that is evident!   I have believed for quite some time that God uses families to witness to the world.  Just as noone would be able to know of the internal turmoil being experienced by the smiling faces on our family picture, the world looks at our families and can only see the beauty of Jesus.  We know that we are depressed at times, afraid at times, worried at times, perplexed, sick, distressed, etc., but when we hide ourselves in Jesus, all the world can see is JESUS!   While I am looking forward to taking another family picture, I am more excited about the portrait of our family that God Himself has painted for all the world to see.  Unlike the the snapshot taken with the camera, God paints a living portrait.  I am thrilled that the Lord has put our family on display that the world may know that Jesus still lives and loves mankind.  I know that we are not perfect.  I know that we have our family "issues".  But in all these things, we are more than conquerors! (Rom. 8)   A friend of mine was so excited when she called me some weeks ago.  A neighbor of hers had stopped by to speak with her and through the conversation she learned that this neighbor had been watching her family from a distance.  Katie (name changed) began telling my friend what an inspiration she was, how Godly a family they had and how she was inspired by them.  My friend was literally blown away!  She wondered how Katie had come to such a conclusion when they had never really held a long conversation and certainly had not spoken of spiritual things.  I believe that Katie was shown the living portrait of this family that had been painted by God.  I believe that God began speaking to her heart through this portrait, without the knowledge of the original family.  I believe that God is willing, even desirous, to do the same through each of us.   No matter what your circumstances are today, no matter what you are going through, remember that God has painted a portrait of your family too.  When you hide yourself in Jesus, you will find the grace and strength you will need to make it through anything that life throws your way, and you will also help others to see the true source of your strength - Jesus!  Our family, neighbors, co-workers/clients, and even our enemies are pointed towards us everyday.  I can imagine God saying, "Do you see this family?  I want to do the same thing for your family, if you will let me."   The question is whether or not we will allow God to paint His portrait.  This means that we will have to allow him to choose the canvas, the brushes, the paint and the colors.  If God chooses to paint your portrait using grays and browns and blacks, will you be as willing a subject as when He chooses cheery yellows and calming blues?  Should God select to use a rough canvas on which to paint your portrait(like foreclosure and bankruptcy) will you allow Him to complete His masterpiece?   Here's the thing, I didn't know what God was doing then.  All I knew is that I was hurting and I wanted Jesus to fix it.  Now, in hindsight, I can see so much clearer.  I feel a little like Joseph in beholding the Hand of God in operation in my life.  I believe that our new family picture will show a much happier, more secure family.  Today's portrait would show a family that has literally grown (seven kids, not five!) and its members have matured!  (And yes, mommy is much closer to 40 than she was in the last photo).     I pray that these same things are evident spiritually, in the living portrait that God is daily painting of my family. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/483611/ Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:26:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaah/483611/