The Joyful Journey - Homeschool Blogger

Arby on Cursive Writing: To Write or Not to Write

Sun, 8 Mar 2009 10:08:00 -0500

We started our oldest on Abeka cursive early on, and continued using Abeka handwriting books up through the beginning of his sixth grade school year. The Abeka practice sheets remind me of the old Palmer method writing exercises that our parents and grandparents learned in school. If you’re familiar with the Palmer method, you can instantly spot a Palmer writer. Recently, I watched a Commerce Bank CSR as she filled out paper work for my new checking account. Even reading her writing upside-down I could spot her Palmer training. That woman could have forged my mother’s handwriting without even trying. They were a spot-on match. I asked her which Catholic school she attended. She laughed, and told me about her childhood in inner-city Philadelphia and the nuns that trained the school in proper cursive writing. That explained it! Their other faults aside, no one can drill-and-kill a subject like a nun in a habit with a sturdy oak ruler! That also identifies the key to developing good handwriting – PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

Developing good handwriting is no different than learning to throw a ball, shoot a free throw, swing a golf club, or shoot a bow and arrow. It takes repetitive practice and care. Handwriting is a mechanical movement that must be practiced until “muscle memory” makes it habit. Unfortunately, learning good handwriting skills isn't quite as exciting to a child as learning to throw a ball or shoot a free throw. Therein lays a home schooling parent’s big challenge. Since we do not have a nun to step in with strong oak ruler or threat of eternal punishment to coerce our young charges’ minds into mastering the lost art of penmanship, homeschool moms and dads must ask themselves if this is a battle in which they wish to engage? There can be a lot of whining, crying, fighting, sulking, and foot dragging over daily penmanship exercises. There is no magic curriculum that, once engaged, will create beautiful writers out of children who seem to have had their hands replaced with chicken feet when it comes to the physical act of writing. While some penmanship curriculum is a better fit for our children than others, good penmanship still boils down to care and lots of practice. And so, mom and dad, how hard are you going to battle with your reluctant writers over the quality of their calligraphy?

Our oldest printed his work from preschool through second grade. He began his cursive practice in second grade. The lessons took no more than 10 minutes each day, if he focused on his work and stopped worrying about the density of his navel lint and other distractions. During third grade his work was a combination of printing and cursive. When he entered fourth grade we required that all work be completed in cursive. He continued daily cursive practice and completed all his work in cursive through the first part of his sixth grade year.

Something amazing happened over the summer between fifth and sixth grade. His hands were returned to him and some chicken somewhere got her feet back. The kid has pretty good handwriting. The years of practice were worth it. I highly encourage all home schooling parents to fight the good fight. Make your children practice. It is another way that homeschooled children will stand out from their peers when they grow up, move out, and head off into that big, big world that we are preparing them for. Every advantage helps! And the public schools just aren’t teaching cursive like they should.

Happy New Year

Wed, 7 Jan 2009 22:55:00 -0600

Dear Friends and Family:

Here we are at the start of 2009, wondering what happened to 2008! Here are a few highlights from the past year in the Difino household!

Jim and Linda stayed busy with family, work, and church responsibilities. As the chairman of the deacons at Lombard Gospel Chapel, Jim spent most of the year heavily involved in our recently completed building project. During the spring and summer months, Linda’s work took her to homeschool conventions all over the U.S, and copywriting, tutoring, homeschool consulting, and babysitting enabled her to work from home during the remainder of the year. Sunday school, AWANA, music ministry, and the regular demands of homeschooling and family life kept both of us busy. But by far, the biggest highlight of our year was a summer trip to Tennessee to celebrate Linda’s folks’ 50^th wedding anniversary. Mom and Dad, along with all the kids, spouses, and grandkids, spent a whole week vacationing together in the beautiful Smoky Mountains! What a wonderful time we had hiking, splashing in mountain streams, and relaxing on our big front porch overlooking the mountains!

Darcy, 21, will soon begin her final semester at Northern Illinois University. She just completed her 1^st grade student-teaching assignment and had a wonderful time! She is living at home this year and has gotten quite involved in ministry and social life at the chapel. After one more semester of classes, she will graduate in May. We’re all hoping and praying that Darcy will be able to find a teaching job that will keep her close to home!!

Janna, 20, is also living at home right now while pursuing her college degree in a slightly less traditional manner. She is earning “credits by examination” and has accumulated 63 college credits in the past 14 months! She hopes to earn her bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences by December of 2009! Janna also babysits regularly for a local family and is enjoying getting more involved with the college and career group at the chapel.

Nina, 18, is in her final year of high school (still homeschooled!) and is considering what the Lord might have in store for her future. She went on a youth group missions trip this summer that the Lord used to increase her interest in missions and ministry. It will be exciting to see how the Lord leads her in the days ahead. Currently, watching hockey and enjoying time spent with friends from youth group are the highlights of Nina’s life!

Jimmy, 5, will begin (officially) Kindergarten in the fall. He is already “doing school” several days each week and loves it…most of the time! His current obsession with roller coasters and fast rides keeps him screaming through the house at breakneck speed! A Christmas trip to Stormy Lake included MANY fast rides down a snowy hill on a tube! He LOVED it!

All in all, 2008 was a wonderful year spent enjoying God’s rich provision for our family. We are especially thankful to him for the friends and family that he has blessed us with!

May God richly bless you in 2009!

The Difino’s

A Thousand, A Thousand Thanksgivings

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

It is with much gratitude that I come to You, my Lord, on this Thanksgiving Day, 2008. You have blessed me beyond anything I could ask or imagine! Thank you for blessing me with my beloved husband…he truly is the “better part of me”. His leadership in our home is a perfect picture of the way that Christ loves the Church. Thank you for my precious girls and my sweet little boy. The amazing love that I have for my children has helped me to understand in a fresh way the love that you have for me. Thank you that each of them has trusted You as Savior. Thank you for the way that you are drawing each one to yourself...in your way and in your time. I am awed by your work in their lives. Thank you for leading and guiding us in the way we should go. We are here today by your grace. Thank you, Lord.

As I sit and reflect over the many things that I am thankful for, my heart and my mind are drawn to the words of so many songs that I have sung through the years. So often it seems that this musician's heart is moved to praise you in song. Thank you for this precious gift! And so as I pen my thanks to you today, I borrow the words of others and join my heart with theirs as they sing their praise to you. I love you, Lord!

Thou Life of my life, blessed Jesus,
Thou death of the death that was mine,
For me was Thy cross and Thine anguish,
Thy love and Thy sorrow divine;
Thou suffered the cross and the torment,
That I might forever go free-
A thousand, a thousand thanksgivings,
I bring, blessed Savior, to Thee!

My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought,
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Was nailed to the cross and I bear it no more.
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, oh my soul!

I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree.
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow:
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus ‘tis now.

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes.
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious—Thy great name we praise.

To God be the glory-great things He hath done!
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin
and opened the life-gate that all may go in.
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father thro’ Jesus, the Son,
and give Him the glory-great things He has done!

Jesus, our Savior, Shepherd, Friend, Our Prophet, Priest and King;
Our Lord, our Life, our Way, our End, accept the praise we bring.

Weak is the effort of our heart, and cold our warmest thought;
But when we see Thee as Thou art, we’ll praise Thee as we ought.

Lord of glory, we adore Thee,
Christ of God, ascended high!
Heart and soul we bow before Thee,
Glorious now beyond the sky:
Thee we worship, Thee we praise,
Excellent in all Thy ways.

Jesus, the very thought of Thee with sweetness fills my breast;
But better far Thy face to see and in Thy presence rest.

No voice can sing, no heart can frame, nor can the memory find
A sweeter sound than thy blest name, O Savior of mankind!

O Lord, from my heart, I do thank Thee
For all thou hast born in my room,
Thine agony, dying, unsolaced,
Alone in the darkness of doom
That I, in the glory of heaven,
Forever and ever might be—
A thousand, a thousand thanksgivings,
I bring, blessed Savior, to Thee!

A Double Birthday!

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:01:00 -0600

Today is Jimmy's fifth birthday!

And while his birth into our family on November 19, 2003, was beyond wonderful, nothing can compare to the joy we all felt on November 13, 2008, when Jimmy asked Jesus to be his Savior!

Two birthdays in one week. Priceless!

Here are a few highlights from Jimmy's fifth year of life.

HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY, SWEET BOY!!

Emily's "Post Election Trauma"

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 22:33:00 -0600

This election has been a particularly difficult one. So much emotion. So much angst. So much frustration. So much anger. I have found disagreement in places where I would NEVER have expected to find it. Division where there has always been unity. Issues that seemed so "black and white" before, seem to have become "grey" for so many. It's baffling to me.

It's also baffling to Emily. Not so long ago Emily was a just little girl in mud boots playing in the woods with my own daughters. Now eighteen years old and a student at a private Christian college, Emily is discovering that grey areas abound for many of her fellow believers. And that's a somewhat bitter pill to swallow.

Here is Emily's response to the events of the last few days....

post election trauma
thats what im having
not because of who won
no, i'm confident in my God
i know, he knows
but i wonder to myself
as i observe the amount
of my believing friends
who voted for the elected
what now has this Church
that i belong to become?
is this a Church that
no longer believes in the
sanctity of life?
no longer believes in the
right of the family?

this is my post election trauma
not for the sake of my country
but for the sake of my church
to choose lower taxes over life
seems hardly fair to me
but i guess it's not for me to judge
but if this is the American Church
LEAVE ME OUT!

Our young people need to see people in the Church who stand on Biblical principals no matter how much "we need change". We are accountable to God to lead them by our example.

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea." Mark 9:42

A Little Dose of Arby....

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 13:17:00 -0600

We've all missed our friend and fellow blogger, Arby. But we all KNEW his children wouldn't stop providing him with blogging fodder just because he quit blogging. And we also knew that he'd have to have an outlet for his nutty stories. And furthermore, we were all fairly certain that, on more than one occasion, writing about his kids probably kept him from strangling them. So when he sent me this story, I knew I had to publish it...for the children's sake. Enjoy!

I'm not certain which was more troubling, the fact that Captain Chaos' preschool teacher gave my daughter a cup of "pumpkin juice" at the class Halloween party last Thursday, only to watch her slop the orange liquid down the front of a brand new white turtleneck sweater, or her admission to me that she knew better, because for two months the Captain has bypassed any juice offered to her during snack time, preferring instead a cup of water. Either way, I did not appreciate the cavalier attitude demonstrated by a woman wearing a court jester's costume when she blithely commented, "Oh well, I guess it's time for some bleach!" I did experience mildly juvenile satisfaction when this weeble-shaped teacher admitted that a kindergartner stopped her in the hall to ask if her costume was filled with air. Out of the mouths of babes.

When I arrived home I decided that there was no need to take the Captain out of her Halloween costume since it was going into the wash later that night. Two homeschooled students were at my doorstep, waiting to resume their weekly study of Romeo & Juliet, so I allowed Captain Chaos to run in the backyard with her brothers. What's a little dirt compared to a large orange stain on the breast of her sweater? And do you see some foreshadowing in that question?

We weren't five minutes into act II when a blood curdling scream erupted in the back yard and Major Havoc ran in to say, "The Captain has blood!" I dashed to the patio door to meet General Mayhem, who was walking the Captain into the house, a river of blood running from her left nostril. I discovered while wrestling the screaming girl to the floor and attempting to stop the flow of blood, that General Mayhem had been sitting on a TWO MAN SWING, but did not wish to share the second seat with his brother. Major Havoc, the offended party in the great swing debacle of 2008, became so enraged with his older brother that he grabbed the red plastic airplane swing that hung next to the General and attempted to launch the aircraft into orbit. Forgetting for the moment that the plane was attached to a metal pole by four strong ropes and would return towards him, he threw the craft as hard as his six-year-old arms would allow. Right into the Captain's face.

Shocked and bloodied, the crying girl grabbed at her face, smearing blood and snot from her hair line to her chin. It ran down the front of her orange stained sweater, down the front of her cheerleader outfit, and down the front her new white tights. Yes, I had finally found the perfect use for the Chicago Cubs cheerleader's outfit that the Boss found at a thrift store for $1.50. It was the Captain's Halloween costume, probably the one and only time she'd have a reason to wear it. And it was covered in blood.

Oh, I thought about not washing it. It was a frightful sight, befitting the occasion. It was also the perfect metaphor for the Cubs' goatless 2008 season. But, I ran the entire outfit through several washings. The jumper came out clean. The tights came out clean. The orange stain disappeared, and the light blood stains that did not leave the sweater were hidden by the jumper. All was well. The next day the girl was running house-to-house, always the last in line behind seven other kids, quietly waiting for candy, and helping herself to handfuls of goodies from offered bowls. Home owner after home owner encouraged her to take lots of the sugary goodness after the kids in front of her were given one or two pieces. Her haul was easily three times that of her brothers' combined.

Good things do come to those who wait. And are really, really cute.

Prayer for our Nation

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 01:00:00 -0500

As November 3rd draws near, I have become increasingly aware of how helpless we are against the tide of unrighteousness that has swept our nation. The "change we need" will not be found in any man. The change we need is found only in Christ. I believe that despite the seeming hopelessness of the situation in which we find ourselves, God would have us pray for a return to righteousness in our nation. He has called us to humble ourselves, to pray, and to turn from our wicked ways. It may in fact be too late. But I'm convinced that should not stop us from storming the gates of heaven with intercession for our nation.

I received the following in an email early this week. The email only stated that it originated from a missionary coordinator named Chuck. The story and pattern for prayer that he shared is powerful.

"Patrick Joshua is the Director of the National Prayer Network (India) and a father figure to the prayer movement in India. Because of a special burden for our nation, he visited the United States twice in recent months, including a trip to Houston. Patrick believes the U.S. is at a very critical time in history, the impact of which will be felt around the world. During his visits, Patrick told the story of God's intervention in India in 2004, in response to the fervent, united prayers of His intention of turning their nation in a direction that would make it almost impossible for Christians to share or practice their faith. Those forces had the momentum and the numbers, as the Christian population in India is a minority - by some estimates representing only 6% of the 1.1 billion people in the nation.

"The situation was desperate. Many thought it was impossible. So they turned to the God of the impossible and began to pray. In cities and states; across their nation, a movement of united, fervent prayer arose, but with a unique focus. They weren't praying for particular candidates or political parties. Instead they were praying for the person of righteousness, the person of God's choosing, to be elected in every elected office.

"Right up until the day of the election every poll and pundit predicted the election would be a landslide for those who were opposed to the gospel. When the votes were counted, however, the results revealed a different story. In district after district those candidates and political allies who opposed the gospel had been soundly defeated. At a national level they were out of power. Needless to say the press and the pundits were stunned. No one saw it coming.

"So what happened? It seems God heard the cries of His people and touched the hearts of the voters as they went into the voting booths. Some believe a corporate conviction came upon the people and they indeed voted for the person of righteous, the person of God's choosing. This was seen most dramatically in the states and regions where prayer was the most concentrated and fervent. In one of those states, laws that restricted the advance of the gospel were immediately repealed.

"While our situation is certainly different, Patrick believes we are at a critical crossroad. He has encouraged us to follow a similar pattern in prayer for our upcoming election. Here's the pattern for prayer as we approach our election."

Prayer Guide for the Election

Begin with Heart Preparation: Come into God's Presence with Worship. Thank God for his great mercy and many blessings. Ask God to extend his mercy to us and to our nation.

Continue with intercession for:

Those running for office nationally: Instead of praying for specific candidates or political parties - Pray that the person of righteousness, the person of God's choosing, would be selected in every congressional district, every senate race and for the office of President.

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people. (Psalm 14: 34)

Those running for office at the state and local level: Pray that the person of righteousness, the person of God's choosing, would be selected in every elected office at the state and local levels.

When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan. (Proverbs 29:2)
Those voting: Pray that each person voting will be convicted to vote for the person of righteousness, the person of God's choosing, in each elected office and in each ballot initiative. Pray for God's Presence to overshadow each person as they make their decision.

The Spirit of the Lord will be upon him - the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord – and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears.
(Isaiah 11:2-3)
Those involved in the election process: Pray that every official involved in the election process would serve with honesty and integrity of heart.

The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight. (Proverbs 11:1)
Those praying: Pray that God would empower intercessors and people across the nation and around the world to call out to Him day and night in extraordinary prayer during this season.

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a Spirit of grace and supplication. (Zechariah 12:10)
The Church: Pray that the Church would be fully awakened, engaged and empowered during this critical season. Pray that we would understand the urgency and importance of this election and the implications for the advancement of God's purposes in our nation and around the world.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:7)
Our nation: Pray that God's plans and purposes for our nation would be established during this election season. Pray that we would be a nation who follows God and is a blessing to the nations of the earth.

Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)

Close with:

Psalms 140-150, praying praise over God our King, our nation, our leaders, and ourselves. God is in control!

148th Carnival of Homeschooling: Tricks and Treats!

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 08:44:00 -0500

The Carnival of Homeschooling is up and it's "scary" good! This week the Cate family over at Why Homeschool is hosting the 148th Carnival of Homeschooling: The Halloween Edition.

There are many "tricks" and "treats" in store, so head on over! Just click the Carnival logo above to join in the fun.

Photo Hunt: Scary

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 09:54:00 -0500

This week's theme is SCARY.

That's a REALLY scary ghost on my son's cheek!!

Now this is REALLY scary....this is my husband and me almost 25 years ago. What's really scary is how good my husband looks as a girl!

Bye Arby.....

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 23:04:00 -0500

My good friend Arby, over at Arby's Archives (don't bother looking for it....IT'S GONE!), has hung up his blogging typewriter for good.

The antics of this stay-at-home, homeschooling dad, his hard-working (VERY patient) wife, and his three ~~crazy~~ delightful children have been one of the highlights of my mornings for over a year now. While I will miss reading his hilarious and thought-provoking posts, I applaud his desire to do what is best for him and for his family. But his blog will be GREATLY missed!

He's promised that he will continue to visit all of his blogging friends regularly, so I'm thinking he'll probably see this post! If you've been a reader of Arby's blog, and would like to tell him how much you'll miss it (or how mad you are that he's abandoned us), feel free to leave a comment for him here!!

Don't be a stranger, Arby.

Now there's one last thing that we need to know.

Was it because we didn't do anything about the goat?