Matters of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of True Happiness - Homeschool Blogger

How many teeth do cats have?

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:26:00 -0600

Gotta love the questions kids ask sometimes. We were driving in the car today to go to a belated Valentine's Day party with our homeschool group when my four-year-old said, "Mom! I need to ask you a question." She then proceeded to ask, very seriously, how many teeth cats have? I told her I didn't know, but that we could look it up when we got home. It's 30, by the way.
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"Live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils." ~ General John Stark

Working on next year's plans....

Mon, 9 Feb 2009 20:36:00 -0600

There's something about the new year that gets me in a planning mood. Inevitably I end up doctoring our school process a bit, too. Each year, though, I feel like I get a bit closer to that elusive perfection. My most recent idea change came after listening to archived episodes of a podcast called "Ultimate Homeschool Expo 2008" (downloaded through itunes). I was inspired by Jim and Sheila Carroll of Living Books Curriculum. They follow a Charlotte Mason philosophy, which really intrigued me. I took a look at their programs, but alas, as they are they wouldn't be a good fit for us. I will be adapting some of their ideas, though.

Currently I'm working on 4th grade. I'm putting together a 36 week program divided into four 9-week quarters. I'm following The Well-Trained Mind four-year history/literature/science cycle combined with cultural literacy ideas from The Core Knowledge Foundation.

The time period is 1850 - present and we'll be covering literature, art, music, and history in that time period. Story of the World, Volume 4 will be our history spine and I'll add living books (fiction and non-fiction) to flesh things out more and make history come alive. I'll have dd pick history projects from the SOTW Activity Guide as well. Literature selections will be a mixture of classics to be read aloud and adaptations of classics to be read independently. I made selections based on The Core Knowledge Foundation's Books to Build On, The Well-Trained Mind, and Jim Trelease's The Read Aloud Handbook. I'm excited.

We'll be keeping our writing (Writing with Ease), handwriting (Handwriting without Tears), and spelling (All About Spelling) programs. I'm going to switch dd to First Language Lessons 4 next year (this year she is doing Growing with Grammar 3). I've come to really love First Language Lessons 1/2 for my younger two and think it would work for my oldest as well.

In math we'll keep on with Math U See. For science we'll be reading biographies and doing science experiments from Janet VanCleave's Physics. We'll use Usborne art books for art history and appreciation. We'll use A Joyful Noise for cultural literacy songs and Meet the Composers for music history and appreciation.

Religious studies will focus on church history and the Doctrine and Covenants using the church publication, Doctrine and Covenant Stories. We'll also start Lively Latin.

I've got the first nine weeks worked up so far. I'm excited!

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"Live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils." ~ General John Stark

It's been a long time...

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 16:47:00 -0600

Now I'm coming back home. (Name that tune!)

So...a lot has happened. We added a new baby in June. My husband's parents have moved in with us (they live in an apartment we built for them in our basement). The kids are all older since last I wrote.

Probably the biggest change for us (aside from the new baby) is my recent diagnosis of Hashimoto's Disease and stroke-like migraines. At the end of September the left half of my body went numb. I went to the ER and they did a CT scan, but didn't see anything that looked like a stroke. I was given some migraine meds via IV and sent home.

After a visit with my family doctor and a recurrent episode of stroke-like sensations, I had an MRI of my brain. They found a mass of something and told me to go see a neurologist. The neurologist said the mass in my brain is fairly common and nothing serious. He ordered more tests to rule out more serious problems before attributing these symptoms to migraines.

After an MRI of my neck, I was told I have an enlarged thyroid. I saw an endocrinologist who ran some labs. My tests came back positive for Hashimoto's Disease, which is an auto-immune disorder that causes my body to attack my thyroid. My thyroid compensates by growing new cells to replace the ones that my body kills off. The result is hypo-thyroidism. I have a follow up visit this month. Eventually I'll need thyroid medication. I had an ultrasound of my thyroid to make sure I don't have cancer (I don't--whew!). I've been feeling quite fatigued lately, but I'm not sure how much that is a result of the Hashimoto's or the fact that I have five children.

The really hard thing has been getting 1-4 or more migraines every week. I decided to start taking a migraine preventative. I've been on it for a little over a week and it may be helping. I've only had two migraines so far.

Song(6) has been sick with a stomach bug today so I've got to process the laundry (again) in my efforts to that clean up. The kids really want to get the Christmas decorations out. I told them that we've got to spiff up the house a bit first. There's really nothing festive about decorating clutter or garbage.

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"Live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils." ~ General John Stark

20 weeks already & a general update

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 08:33:00 -0600

I realized yesterday that I'm now 20 weeks into this pregnancy. That went fast! I've been busy (what mom of four kids isn't?).

We're still plugging away at school. I had typed up a really cool detail about how I'm organizing our studies now, but accidentally deleted it. Ugh. I really do want to share it, though, so I'll type it up again.

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"Live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils." ~ General John Stark

Do you believe the Constitution was inspired by God? Vote to protect it!

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:07:00 -0600

I know that the good people of this land realize the importance of preserving the Constitution. Many express that they desire to do so, yet these same people vote directly against it by electing individuals who enact laws and policies that undermine our Constitution!

Some of these elected officials ignorantly whittle away at the Constitution because they simply do not understand the document or how to apply its underlying principles. Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney is perhaps an example of this when he said in a debate that he would have to consult his lawyers as to whether or not he could declare war.

Other elected officials knowingly violate Constitutional principles. The Constitution, at its essence, prescribes a limited Federal government. At this point, neither mainstream Republicans nor Democrats act in a way to actually implement a limited government. Both parties have expanded government and would choose to expand it further. They simply disagree on which areas to expand. Vote for McCain or Huckabee and you're voting to (unnecessarily) increase the military. Vote for Clinton or Obama and you're voting to increase (unconstitutional) entitlement programs. Some would work to increase government all around. The larger the government becomes, the less freedom we have.

I no longer identify myself with a political party. I identify with the Constitution of the United States of America! I'm a constitutionalist. I will fight forever for true freedom, real Liberty as our Founding Fathers and Mothers did before us!

They were not afraid to give up their lives to fight for freedom. Patrick Henry's fervent speech where he declares "Give me liberty or give me death!" was not a mere sound byte or talking point--he was in real danger of being killed for his beliefs!

They were not afraid of hard work or failure. Naval hero Captain John Paul Jones, while on his sinking ship, defied the enemy's demand to surrender with the declaration "I have not yet begun to fight!"

I refuse to stand idly by while those around me work to destroy the Constitution and liberty itself!

I will never give up!

I will not vote for anyone who does not uphold the Constitution!

I will not accept the "viable candidate" options presented by the media!

I will vote for freedom, liberty, and the preservation of America's Constitution!

I will vote for Ron Paul!

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"Live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils." ~ General John Stark

Are you a homeschooler who supports Huckabee? Check this out.

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 22:19:00 -0600

I got the following on a homeschooling list (written by Joseph Farah) and feel it's important enough to post here. Remember that Ron Paul vocally supports homeschooling and opposes government involvement. Yay, Ron!

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I take a back seat to no one in my admiration of homeschoolers.

I am a homeschooler myself.

As I have written in my book "Taking America Back," I believe the homeschool movement is the vanguard of what could be a peaceful, social and cultural revolution that will restore morality, justice and freedom in our country.

That's why I want to issue a warning to homeschoolers today: Don't sell out to a presidential candidate too fast or too cheaply.

A Washington Post report suggests homeschoolers are throwing their support to Mike Huckabee in big numbers. While I think there is much to like about Huckabee, there are some major concerns as well.

One of those concerns is his education policy – specifically, the role of the federal government.

You may not know it, and many homeschoolers may not know it, but Huckabee has received the endorsement of the National Education Association's New Hampshire chapter for the Republican nomination. Hillary Rodham Clinton received the group's endorsement for the Democratic nomination.

Huckabee sought the endorsement of the NEA affiliate. He was the only Republican candidate to court it in an address to the group.

Here's what he said at that time: "I'm astonished there are not more Republican candidates here. Do they not think education is important? Or are they just afraid of the NEA? I don't know."

In other words, Huckabee apparently equates education in America with the NEA. I don't know about you, but I find this kind of pandering for money and votes deeply disturbing.

Despite its name, the National Education Association does not promote good education in America. That is a fundamental mischaracterization and error. The NEA is a destructive force to real education in America. The NEA is a powerful teachers' union, which, in moments of candor, will admit it is about securing higher pay and benefits for teachers, not improving their performance and certainly not watching out for the interests of children.

It also maintains an extremist political agenda that should certainly scare away Republican candidates from seeking its endorsement.

If it were up to the NEA, there would be no homeschooling allowed in America. The group has repeatedly proposed legislation banning it except when it is conducted by accredited teachers – in other words, NEA members.

The NEA is one of the most dangerous and destructive lobbying forces in America today.

The NEA is spearheading the drive for total government control over all education. The reason it does so is because government empowers the NEA. This is a union that has special privileges no other labor guild has ever enjoyed – including nonprofit status for an organization that actively promotes, endorses and funds the candidacies of partisan political campaigns.

Besides battling homeschoolers and any other choice for parents who recognize the fundamental crises the NEA has created in our schools, the organization promotes bilingual education, homosexual, lesbian and transgendered education, environmental education, after-school care, before-school care and condom education. Reading, writing and arithmetic take a back seat or worse.

This is truly an extremist organization – one that would, if it could, change America's character in ways that would make it scarcely recognizable to freedom-loving people.

Here's my sincere and heartfelt advice to homeschoolers: Before you jump on Mike Huckabee's bandwagon, call on him to repudiate his support from the NEA. Call on him to get the federal government out of education, an institution for which there is no constitutional justification for its meddling. Call on him to challenge the NEA's radical agenda the next time he has an opportunity to address the group. Call on him to take the side of real education reform and freedom in America – not the side of the education hucksters and racketeers.

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"Live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils." ~ General John Stark

Ron Paul tonight on PBS!

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 08:52:00 -0600

The program called NOW will be airing an episode tonight called "Ron Paul and Internet Politics".
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"Live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils." ~ General John Stark

A general update.

Sun, 9 Dec 2007 05:02:00 -0600

School has been a bit sparse in the past few weeks. At the beginning of November we got the surprise news that a new baby will be joining our family in July sometime (most likely). While my morning sickness this time has be relatively mild, I haven't been up for anything much beyond reading aloud most days. We finished The Hobbit and read Casting the Gods Adrift (as recommended in The Story of the World activity book for Egypt). We're currently reading the original Winnie-the-Pooh. We're enjoying it very much and I'm delighted that Disney didn't do too bad a job in its adaptations for animation.

It seems I've traded throwing up for sudden fatigue, too. There comes a point in the afternoon when I just conk out (thankfully, that's corresponded to when my one-year-old takes her nap, too). That's why I'm writing this at almost 4 in the morning--I fell asleep at 6:30 last night!

I hoping that come January we'll get back into our groove!
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"Live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils." ~ General John Stark

Being led by the Spirit in political choices

Tue, 4 Dec 2007 09:57:00 -0600

I absolutely agree with the idea that we should pray for guidance with weighty decisions such as who to vote for president. Some say that people are "over thinking" the issues and they need to go with their gut and do the right thing. What troubles me is that I see many people who don't seem to be "over thinking"--they don't seem to be thinking at all! We've got a nation of sheep, ready to follow whoever says the right catch phrases. It's quite frustrating. Unfortunately, a person's understanding of "what is right" is often the result of cultural acclimation or societal norms and not necessarily based in principles of Universal Truth. Issues regarding Domestic and International policy are complex, which is why it is so very, very important to go back to the Constitution and act in the way it outlines.

Therefore, I do feel that God expects us to study things out--*really* study them before asking Him for guidance and making such important decisions.

D&C 9:8 "But, behold, I say unto you, that you must ^astudy it out in your ^bmind; then you must ^cask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your ^dbosom shall ^eburn within you; therefore, you shall ^ffeel that it is right."

In the case of politics, I believe that it's essential for us as citizens to familiarize ourselves with the philosophical writings that the Founding Fathers read in preparation for writing the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Without understanding those philosophical underpinnings, we lack the tools needed to correctly interpret their intent and we also lack the tools to discern what current political candidates or laws are in line or out of line with Constitutional principles.

I strongly believe that it is our duty as citizens to do our part of sincerely studying the important history of our Nation's Founding so that we *can* then be led by the Spirit to choose worthy representatives in our government. I may be stepping on toes here, but I don't feel that we can or should rely solely on the Spirit because I don't believe that God can really take our request for guidance seriously if we don't take the time and effort to do some legwork on our own. He expects us to use the brains He has given us to study, make decisions, and pray for confirmation.

If a child came to me with a serious decision to be made and said "Mom, which one should I do?" I'd want that child to spend time thinking about each choice in detail before coming to me for guidance and advice. I may have a sense for which choice would be better, but if I were to simply tell the child "well, you should do Choice A" that robs my child of an opportunity for growth. I believe that God wants us to grow intellectually AND spiritually and that such growth is enhanced when done together.

As an example, reading John Locke's Second Treatise on Government was very enlightening for me because he outlines a continuum. At one extreme you have total freedom (anarchy, Natural Law, since everyone is free to act without consequences from a governing body). At the other extreme you have total security (no one is allowed to make "bad choices" because those choices are all illegal). I'm much more comfortable having more freedom in exchange for a little less security. Reading Locke helped me clarify this principle in my mind and heart.

It's of utmost importance to me that I make decisions based on principles of truth. It's often difficult to wade through an issue or a candidate to get to the heart of it, but when I put the effort into doing this I feel secure in the knowledge that I'm voting in a way that is consistent with my understanding of those principles.

While it may be that after you personally and prayerfully study the Founding Documents you come to a different conclusion as to which candidates or laws are in line with Constitutional principles, I sincerely urge you to do so. :-)

I'm seeing a slow and subtle shift that Americans are not as readily following strict party lines, which is heartening. This makes it a prime time to vote for a "non-first tier" candidate. I believe that if people really voted for the right person rather than the person they think "could win" someone like Ron Paul has a chance at winning. He's not a politician like Romney or Clinton. He's a man who stands for principles and acts in ways that prove he really believes in those principles. It's undeniably refreshing and it gives me a flicker of hope that perhaps America can recover from its sojourn in the wilderness of withering freedoms. I passionately believe that the right thing to do is to vote for more freedom in America, to return to the Constitution--a document inspired by God!

If people don't open their eyes soon enough to see where their apathy and ignorance is leading this nation as a whole I believe we are doomed. Maybe it even proves that we do not deserve to have freedom. Why should God continue to pour out His blessings if we are so ungrateful? This completely terrifies me, which is why I speak so much about it.

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"Live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils." ~ General John Stark

The Differences between Mitt Romney and Ron Paul

Mon, 3 Dec 2007 15:59:00 -0600

I found these links that give detailed differences between these two candidates. There are several very significant differences. My perception is that many Utahns are defaulting to Romney simply because he's LDS and a decent man. My great fear is that they may not be looking more closely at the issues and what impact a candidate's stance on those issues may have on our future liberties.

http://nyletterpres s.wordpress. com/2007/ 09/30/3/

http://paul4prez. blogspot. com/2007/ 06/ron-paul- vs-mitt-romney. html

I sincerely hope that everyone will study the candidates carefully and choose the one you think most fervently champions the causes of freedom and liberty. In my heart I feel that America is at a crossroads. I feel that this presidential election will set the stage for what kind of "freedoms" we can expect in the future. I passionately believe Ron Paul is our best shot at preserving the freedoms that the Founding Fathers fought for. He truly is Hope for America and I urge you to vote for positive change.

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"Live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils." ~ General John Stark