Enjoy...or let us lull you to sleep...the homeschooling lives of one housewife and her menagerie of academically inclined wonders (I wish...giggle, giggle). http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Mon, 5 Jan 2009 06:01:00 -0600 Mon, 5 Jan 2009 06:01:00 -0600 No, it's not to blog more...although I'm sure a few of us have made that one!  My resolution has more to do with this... Yes...the bowls.  You know what I'm talking about...the assorted sizes, colors, uses.  The bowls from Grandma, the bowls you bought because they were cute and could be used for all kinds of things, the novelty bowls, the "he LOVES (fill in the blank) and would use this all the time bowl, the bowls for snacks, the bowls for fingerpaint, the list goes on!!!!  I have an entire section of these bowls in my cabinet and I grumble EVERY time I get one down because I know SOMEONE is going to be unhappy with the color/size/style and, unfortunately for them, the one they want is in the dishwasher! Well, I'm not going to grumble about it anymore.  And, no, not because I'm going to throw them all away!  I'm going to take a different view.  Each bowl is a reflection of who I am and how I see my children.  I love to hear them blow milk bubbles and the endless giggles that follow(DO NOT tell them I said that ), to hear the sounds of webs being shot across the table at each other (and the complaints of "He spit on me!"), to know that my girl will ask for the pink bowl everytime.  These bowls are a sign of their childhood and mine.  So, my resolution is to always find the joy in all those things that I find myself grumbling about through the day.  One day, I'm going to want them back, so I need to revel in them now.  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/641376/ Mon, 5 Jan 2009 06:01:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/641376/ This is what it's all about!  I look out our window into the backyard and what do I see?  Boyhood ingenuity at work!  Not to mention all three chickens laughing and playing together.  So, what do you need to make a leaf toboggan?  Number one, you need an imagination.  Next, you need one slide, turned upside down, and you'll need a scrap piece of wood from the shed to use as a fulcrum (see how I worked a little science into that one).  However, for the leaf toboggan to be a success, what you really need are willing participants.... And a little bit of force (science, you gotta love it!).... Now, if we could just arrange for a little bit of snow to come our way we won't need to buy anything...we'll just transform our leaf toboggan into a snow toboggan.  See, we're scientific and frugal! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/621501/ Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:05:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/621501/ One thing's for sure...we are not an all textbook all the time homeschool family.  Take for instance a recent trip to the zoo and park...I apologize for the angle, but I couldn't figure out how to turn my video right side up!  Hmmm...maybe there was a little learning going on here...after, of course, the world stopped spinning!  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/621350/ Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:31:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/621350/ I've been quiet about the election, only because I wasn't sure how to express my thoughts on the matter...until I was sent this...the author is not known... He's My Precious King... Share Today at 11:19am As I drove to the office today, everything looked exactly the same. The trees had not withered. Their leaves were still rich with autumn color. The creeks I crossed over were still rushing with the same vigor as yesterday. People were still driving down the street as usual. I noticed no evidence of freshly closed businesses. It appears that at least for today, everything is the same. Whew! It’s not the end of the world. I know some people feel that way. Some have probably looked into moving to Canada (oddly enough you would move to a country with a social health care system—one of the tenants of the platform you were against). But things really have moved on quite normally. I’m not so naïve as to think that there won’t be changes. Our President elect ran on the message of change. But for today, all appears to be well. There is no doubt this country is in a transition. I am reminded of another transition in history. Judges 21:25 states, “In those days there was no king in Israel…” In 1 Samuel 8:5 we see the plea of Israel, “…Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations…” Samuel was upset with their request. It displeased him (1 Samuel 8:6). But notice what God says, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:7). Even though Judges closes with the thought of “…no king in Israel…” there truly was a king—God was ruling over them as king. As we move forward into a time of transition, it is my desire that we remember we have a king. Jesus is described as the King of kings (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:16). Regardless of who our President may be in this country, we will continually bow before the King and serve Him. That also means we must trust Him. He will lead us, protect us, and provide for us. We serve a risen Savior and a mighty King. The King of kings has told us how to react to times of governmental change. He has instructed us on how to respond to leaders we do not fully appreciate or endorse. If we are going to serve the King of kings, then we must obey His orders in relation to our civil leaders. Here are some of those instructions: 1) Give the honor due. In Romans 13:7 we are told through the pen of Paul, “Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.” Regardless of who you voted for yesterday, we are to honor our President. The failure to do so is a negative reflection on our life as God’s people. It shows that we aren’t serving the King of kings. This particular passage is written to a people who had a leader far worse than the President elect appears to be. If they were expected to honor Caesar, certainly we can honor Barack Obama. 2) Be subject to the authority. Paul clearly shares this instruction with us in Romans 13. We are to be subject to the authorities because there is no authority that is not appointed by God. It is not the time to revolt. It is the time to submit. 3) Pray for the leaders. The closest command in relation to political activism is found in 1 Timothy 2:1-3. “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.” We should always be praying for our leaders regardless of who they are and how much we agree with them. That doesn’t change if “our candidate” does not win. Friends, the world will keep moving forward if it is God’s will. If it does not, then we know it was not God’s plan. If we trust God, we will look forward to a new day with brand new opportunities to serve the King. Doors will be open that have been closed. There will be new chances and opportunities to share the Good News. God is still work. Jesus is still ruling. We sing the song, “He’s my precious king and oh I dearly love Him…” Now is the opportunity to prove that to all men. May we all serve the King. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/620393/ Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:50:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/620393/   Ever since I read Jaminacema's entry on file folders, I've been a file folder games making machine!  Fortunately, to feed my addiction, the incredibly talented Valerie of Christian Preschool Printables has created a brand new site JUST for File Folder Fun....and it's FREE!!!!  How cool is that?  But, that's not the best part...as part of the GRAND OPENING she's giving away some pretty great prizes...especially if you like file folder games as much as my little chickens do.  So head on over and check it out...and if you like lapbooking and you've never visited Jaminacema...go check out her blog, too..you'll be so glad you did! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/614014/ Tue, 4 Nov 2008 17:29:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/614014/ Okay,this post requires a little imagination on your part.  Now, let's start the theme to Mission Impossible playing in your head..... Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find the pumpkin with the ability to end cravings for roasted pumpkin seeds, creamy pumpkin pie, and lip-smackin' pumpkin spice muffins.  Your point of contact is a field 40 miles out into no-man's-land.  The tools needed to carry out your mission will be available upon your arrival.  Good luck.  This message will self-destruct in 15 seconds.  Unfortunately, the theme song will continue to play in your head for the next 15 hours....Sorry http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/613741/ Wed, 5 Nov 2008 05:53:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/613741/ Okay, I said that our calendar for October would require a before and an after, and it IS November... October 1 Can you guess what happens next?? I can't wait to see how November's idea turns out, can you? http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/613301/ Mon, 3 Nov 2008 07:31:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/613301/ Did you ever dream of getting a horse for Christmas? You can get a sneak peek of our Fall issue and see Nancy Carter's first horse! Oh, and she's not the only one sharing her childhood pictures. You'll see photos from the 50's through the 80's. But, you'll need the Fall issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine to go on this walk down memory lane.   Plus, do you like to create holiday memories? The brand new TOS holiday E-Book can be yours, too. It's all about the fall and winter holidays - mainly Thanksgiving and Christmas. But it's not even for sale yet. This is your chance to get it first  - for FREE ($12.45 value)!   Normally when a person subscribes, their subscription starts with the upcoming issue which can take a while. But, TOS thought about that when they planned their  Fall Special.   If you subscribe now with their Fall Special, you'll get: Almost 50% off the cover price for 2 years The current Fall issue as soon as it is ready 6 Bonus gifts 12 months of Teacher's Toolbox, which contains a FREE E-Book every month PLUS, the new E-Book, Homespun Holidays for FREE! This is over $250 worth of product for only $39!! CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE NOW! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/608866/ Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:55:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/608866/ Sadly, this was my kitchen sink this morning.  You know what I needed?  MOTIVATION!  And I knew just where to get it from.  So, I buzzed on over to the Flylady and started reading.  "STOP!", you say?  It's okay...we work a 6 week on, 2 week off school schedule so I have some time...after, of course, I check to make sure all cosmetics are safely put away!! I've tried applying the Flylady's techniques, and at different times in my life they have worked well and other times, I've had to tweak them to fit my needs or abandon them all together.  What is Flylady, you ask?  You really have to see it to understand...but she can help you turn chaos around in 15 minute segments.  Just look at what 15 minutes did for my kitchen sink... Want to know more?  Check out the baby steps to turning Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome into the Clean Kitchen Sink Syndrome...sorry...no cute acronym for that one!  Now, it's off to the surrounding counters you CAN'T see!  After all, it will be time for dinner soon... http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/608847/ Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:00:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/608847/ Your entire day is spent in the kitchen???? Breakfast Dinner (that one's for you, cuddles) Supper I love to cook...but wouldn't it be great if I had a Rosie (think Jetsons) to come out and clean up after me?  Speaking of which...here's a funny.... Now, Monkey is our clearer table-er...you know...the one who gets to take all the empty plates and smooshed up napkins back to the kitchen and PUT THEM IN THE SINK (that one was for you, Monkey) or trash, whichever the case may be.  So, we have some guests for supper one night and our Monkey promptly stands up and begins to clear the table.  Our guests are impressed that he does this without a word from me or Dad and compliment him.  Monkey responds with "You know how Moses was trained in all the ways of the Egyptians?  Well, I'm trained in all the ways of women!"  he...he...he...he...he http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/605998/ Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:22:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/keystoneacademy/605998/