Lessons Learned on the Farm - Homeschool Blogger

Thankful, thankful, thankful

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:15:00 -0600

Wow, it's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just a little over a week away! I've been trying to count my blessings each day, but I thought I'd share a few with you all today.

1. God's unconditional love
2. New mercies every day
3. A loving husband who teaches me about dedication and service every day
4. Three boys who make me laugh, care about others, and love me even when I'm not much fun.
5. Our dogs - They make the world a better place.
6. The horse and sheep and how they remind me of the blessings of friendship and sticking together.
7. The guineas and their noises which have become a great comfort. (I really miss our chickens.)
8. The blessing of being able to enjoy living in the country.
9. Deer meat in the freezer.
10. My electric mattress pad, O24, good books, and ibuprofen!

What are you all especially thankful for this week?

Strength

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:26:00 -0600

Sometimes I struggle with feeling weak. Physically I just can't do all that I want or sometimes even need to do. When people look at me, they can't see anything wrong. To them, I “look” healthy, but there can be quite a war going on within my body and mind even as I smile.; There are times when I've been in so much pain, that I've really thought about using one of the motorized carts at a store. But I haven't been able to do it. Deep down the idea of needing help just to get around is still too much for me. As silly as it may sound, the thought of going to the grocery store or a field trip with my kids can have me clinging to Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.; I have to remind myself that even though I may not be physically strong, I can still be mentally tough. I can be strong in the Lord, even when my body fails me.; Being strong is a choice, not a condition. God tells us to be strong in the Lord, not by our own power. Our strength comes from our union with Him, from his all-mighty power. Zechariah 4:6 says “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty.”; Being strong means remembering to walk by faith and not by sight, releasing the fears, and clinging to Truth. It means putting on the armor of God each and every day.; And that much I CAN do.; Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6: 14 – 17

Being Content

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 17:08:00 -0600

I have been thinking a lot about contentment lately. I have some friends who are going through some extremely hard times. They are people that I love and admire. And honestly, sometimes I thought they were “more blessed” than me. (Do you ever think that?)

On the outside, they seemed to “have it all”, great careers making good money, nice homes and cars, loving families, lots of friends, health, etc...

But now, they are going through some things that put all of that in perspective and made me realize I need to rethink some things.

I realize that many times I've looked at God blessing me by what He gives me. Now I know that often He is also blessing me with what He doesn't give me – the things He has protected me from.

Does that make any sense?

It's not that the money or success that they've experienced are solely to blame for what they're going through. That's actually far from it. But those good things are what I could see and admire. I didn't see all of the things that they were privately battling (or would someday be battling).

Shame on me for thinking that somehow God loved them more because He was blessing them with certain things. Sure we struggle, but my family is extremely blessed. We love each other like crazy, we've got a comfy home with plenty of land to enjoy, and we get to spend lots and lots of time together. I have GOT to quit taking that for granted.

All families have their struggles. Some will struggle with finances. Some struggle with family tensions. Some struggle with marital issues. Others struggle with health or loss. Those things just come from living in this sinful fallen world where accidents, confusion, selfishness, envy, and disease run rampant.

We can't control all of the things that come into our lives, but those things don't have to consume us. We must walk by faith and not by sight, all the while trusting in God and knowing that He has our best interests at heart. We have to quit looking at others and wondering why things seem so hard for us, but so easy for them. Our lives were not created for our comfort. God chooses whether we need the sweet or the bitter. We were created to glorify Him and He gets to decide how – whether it is through success or trials, health or illness, joy or sorrow. Sometimes being content means letting go of our plans and desires.

We need to quit keeping score. Being content is a choice. One day I met a woman who was going through a horrible time, the worst time of her life. Yet she really didn't have any sympathy for others. She was certain that everyone else had things so much better than she did. She didn't know that many of our friends were facing extremely trying times themselves. Because even as those women were struggling, they were trying to be content, to count their blessings, and to look at how they could bless others.

It doesn't take a perfect life to glorify God, He uses struggling imperfect people every day.

And even IN our struggles, God is there, which is truly the greatest blessing! Remember the story in Matthew 14: 22-33 about the disciples being out in the boat on stormy waters? Even when Peter began to sink because he was scared by the storm, Jesus reached out to grab him and saved them all. We have to remember that He will reach out and grab us when we are scared and sinking too.

That's where my hope is. That's what keeps me content.

“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.”

Lamentations 3: 21-25

A great price AND 10 bonus gifts!

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:08:00 -0500

I just saw a coupon code on the TOS Facebook page and thought I'd pass it along in case any of you missed it. If you order a one-year US print subscription before midnight, Friday, October 30th, and use coupon code 10GIFTS, you can get the sub for $7.95 AND pick 10 free gifts from their Fall special. Just click HERE for all the details.

But click through MY links if you decide to buy anything. I'm a TOS Affiliate and earn 15% whenever you click through my links to buy a TOS product.

Here are the options:

Plus, if you subscribe now, your subscription will start with the Winter issue (pictured above). I've got an article in this issue about the benefits of sunshine and good ol' Vitamin D! I hope you all like it. After taking a break for a few issues, I'm a little nervous. :O)

These are a few of our favorite games!

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:51:00 -0500

With the holidays right around the corner, we thought this might be a good time to discuss favorite family games. My family enjoys playing games with our family and friends at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I've found that games make GREAT gifts.

My favorite is probably Scrabble, but here are some of my kids' favorite games:

Monopoly and the new Monopoly Deal card game
Jenga
Guess Who
Yahtzee
Uno
Dutch Blitz
To Bethlehem (Especially perfect around Christmas!)

And these are our favorites to play at get-togethers:

Catch Phrase

Pictionary

Scattergories

Hope this helps spark some ideas for fun or gift-giving at your house. I've got to admit that I don't play games nearly as much as the boys want me to. I drag my heels and tend to find other things to do, but I'm trying to do better about joining in the fun and hope you all will too!

Enjoy every minute!

~Nancy

PS – I noticed on Amazon that you can get the Monopoly Deal cards FREE when you purchase some of the other games before October 31st. Click here for the details!

*This is reprinted from the October 28, 2009 Favorite Games THM. If you are interested in getting The Homeschool Minute e-Newsletter, you can subscribe HERE.

Country Boys

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:51:00 -0500

I snapped this picture of the boys while we were at the pumpkin patch with our homeschool group the other day. Somehow the old truck just made a very fitting prop for my boys.

Hard working. Reliable. Lots of character.

Win Some Tea Tree Oil!

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:00:00 -0500

My friend, Juliestew, is having a contest on her blog to give away some Tea Tree Oil from Beeyoutiful. I discovered tea tree oil a few years ago and we use it quite a bit around our house.

She's drawing a winner on Wednesday so head on over there to enter!

Also, have you ever visited the WellTellMe website that is chock full of discussions about natural alternatives and the such? I have learned quite a bit over there!

When Homeschool Moms Get Together

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:37:00 -0500

Things get a little crazy.
We start spelling things.
"TOS"

But then we TRY to look all serious and businessy.
This was our Apprentice pose.
I'm trying to look like I'm taking an important call.
Don't let it fool you.

We're all talking about food, how cute Susanah is,
the exciting things coming up at TOS, and our families.

Pictured L to R - Me, Tia (HSB Senior Editor), Angela (Director of the Schoolhouse Store),
Dena (Director of Operations), Ginny (Schoolhouse Store Administrator), &
Michelle (Director of Marketing)

"The Hills Are Alive with the Sound of Music!"

Some of My Favorite Crafts

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:34:00 -0500

Wow, can you believe that we're halfway through October already? Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here soon. If you plan on making handmade goodies to give for the holidays, NOW is the time to start.

I used to make Thanksgiving cards for the grandparents when the boys were little that said, "This little turkey is thankful for YOU!" with a painted handprint turkey on there. I think it's great to take time to have your children let others know just how thankful they are for them.

The boys have also used tissue paper and old baby food jars to make stained glass votive candle holders for Sunday school teachers and other family members.

One year, we made fleece scarves for many in our family--including little cousins. They loved wearing a gift that their cousins made!

Speaking of little cousins or friends, it's a lot of fun to make a personalized memory game or fizzy stones.

Is there a new baby in the family? My little niece loved the chenille flannel blanket I made for her.

Or your kids could make trash bag wreaths. They are a lot cuter than they sound!

And if you have some cute tins, homemade caramel popcorn is always a hit!

Enjoy every minute!

THM Editor

PS. I think people always love photo gifts. I made Tony a photo book for Father's Day and he really treasures it. Keep an eye out for coupon codes from Shutterfly, Kodak, Snapfish, etc. as Christmas approaches.

*This is reprinted from the October 24, 2009 Crafting for the Upcoming Holidays THM. If you are interested in getting The Homeschool Minute e-Newsletter, you can subscribe HERE.

How Bowling Balls Are Made

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:52:00 -0500

Visiting a factory to see how bowling balls are made may sound like about as much fun as watching paint dry,but you'd be surprised! There is an incredible amount of physics and chemistry involved in creating bowling balls and our homeschool group got to learn all about it while visiting the Ebonite factory.

Ebonite creates over 70% of the bowling balls sold all over the world. Last year they put out over 800,000 bowling balls, but some years they have put out well over a million balls. It was very interesting to learn about the science which makes different styles of bowling balls better for different bowlers.

I thought that bowling balls were supposed to roll straight and the ones for "social bowlers" are. BUT once bowlers start getting competitive, they want their bowling balls to give them an advantage - they want to "hit the pocket" with "maximum force" and such things like that.

That's what makes the core so important. Bowling a perfect strike starts with the core.

I found some really great videos online that explain more about the science and process behind how they make bowling balls at Ebonite. Here's Part 1 and Part 2.

Now, while I thought picking the right bowling ball was all about having one that matched your outfit, I learned that the paint on the ball serves as much more that "just" decoration.

In fact, the colors on it, are SO much more than just paint. It's a special plastic coating designed to give the ball just the right amount of traction on the lane and giving the bowler more control. See those little blue cups in this pic?

That coating is going through a really nifty chemical reaction. It is so viscous that it starts gelling practically as you pour it. The people at Ebonite really know their stuff. They each do their jobs quickly and precisely to keep production flowing at the perfect pace. Bowling actually has the most participants of any sport, so they have to keep things moving!

And once the ball is checked and double checked, they finish it up with engraving and polishing. It's kind of like a spa treatment for the ball.

Aren't you glad to know that the balls are so well cared for?

These kids are!

It was a fabulous day at the Ebonite plant and we really appreciated them taking the time to show us around their plant and to answer all of our questions.

From the youngest to the oldest, we all had a great time.

And learned a lot about science too!

Happy Fall Y'all!

Mon, 5 Oct 2009 22:47:00 -0500

Hip, hip, hooray!

My very favorite season is here: Fall (or Autumn if you want to sound fancy!).

Oh, Fall, how I love you, let me count the ways:

Bright blue skies
Gorgeous Harvest Moons
Leaves of many colors
And that delicious rain-like sound as the wind whooshes them to the ground
The perfect weather for camping
The warmth and smell of the campfire
Roasted marshmallows!
Wearing cozy sweats and hoodies
Flannel sheets
My Autumn Wreath Yankee Candle (It reminds me SO much of my dad)
Pumpkins, mums, straw bales, and corn stalks galore!
Caramel apples
Lots and lots of soup and chili
Spiced cider
Shorter days and long cozy nights
Arts and Craft Shows & Fall Festivals
Thinking about God's abundance and the purpose for the different seasons
Really taking time to give thanks

Just take a look at this cute framed needlework that I picked up at our community's
Fall Festival.

It really captures what Fall is about for me!

But I also found this delightful Fall wreath ON SALE at Big Lots. Gotta love that!

The Fall colors: they speak to me.

And I did manage to get a START on my 2009 Fall Front Porch display. It's not all together yet. We haven't been to the pumpkin patch yet so I only have two smaller pumpkins that we've picked up along the way. And I would still like to find some orange mums to add to the display and my purple fabric for the table. But Fall is here and I just couldn't wait to start putting things out. It just makes me happy every time I see those mums and pumpkins on the front porch. If I was Rachel Zoe, I'd say "literally."

And here's a little money-saving trivia, especially for you new bloggy visitors (waving hello!) who clicked over here from Molly's Econobuster e-newsletter or The Homeschool Minute.

In our area, there is an Amish produce/flower auction. If the flowers aren't "perfect", they sell them at a whopper discount. I got these large mums for $3 each instead of $4.50 - $6. I'm not interested in perfect. I think a few flaws add to the rustic farmhouse chic vibe that I'm going for. Ha!

Anyway Happy Fall Y'all from my home to yours, I hope you enjoy the beauty and comfort of this season and take some time to count your blessings.

Watch Out Mr. Goodbody!

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:35:00 -0500

Did I tell you all that we joined a co-op this year? Well, we did and it's kind of a big deal for us because it's a 45 minute drive there AND it starts at 9 in the morning! Yikes!

Nonetheless, it's been a really good experience and we have learned that we CAN get up and make it on-time when we plan ahead.

Each of the boys has 4 classes. Jon is taking Human Body, Discovering Great Artists, Patriotic Activities, and P.E. Jake and Joe are taking Quiz Bowl, Chemistry Lab, American Art Appreciation, and Spanish. They are all enjoying their classes and learning so much.

I got a quick video of Jon practicing reciting 21 bones for his Human Body class and thought I'd share it with you all. Tony actually helped come up with ways for Jon to remember the "hard" ones and practiced quite a bit with him. But I'm really proud of him considering he only knew a couple of these a week ago!

Sorry, the video is sideways. I can't quite figure out how to fix it!

I really appreciate all of the moms who organize and teach the co-op classes. I love being able to watch the boys make progress with their classes even when I feel like things get off-track at home. And that, my friends, is SUCH a blessing!

Spotted on the Farm Today

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:48:00 -0500

One fat black sheep trying to stay dry under the trampoline.
His faithful friend, the horse, standing nearby, enjoying the rain and munching on grass.
I cherish these moments.

Lessons Learned From My Dad

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:42:00 -0500

I was thinking about my dad the other day, well actually I think about him every day, but something just kind of clicked this time.

When I was a teenager, I was in A LOT of activities: band, theater, choir, dance, etc... And even though none of those were really his idea of fun, he came to all of them.

My dad worked long hard hours so sometimes he'd lovingly grumble about other things he'd rather be doing, but nonetheless he always came.

And at the time, I took it for granted. I thought all dads did that. But as I've gotten older, I realize not all dads do. And part of me can really understand. As a mom, sometimes I get tired of going to sporting events, car shows, and the such. They're not my cup of tea. But then I remember how my dad went out of his way FOR me. Even when he didn't love the event, he went because he loved me.

My dad wasn't great at saying I love you, but his actions spoke louder than words.

I'm still learning from him even though he's been gone for over 7 years. Saying I love you comes easy for me, but I still want to make sure that my actions match my words. I hope that long after I'm gone, my kids (and their kids) realize that I loved them even more than they knew.

And I hope it all points them directly to the One who loves us all more than we can ever know.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Eph. 3: 17-19

One More Chance

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:32:00 -0500

I know a lot of you (over 3000!) took advantage of the Labor Day $7.95 special, but in case you missed it, here's one more chance.

I have a coupon code to make The Old Schoolhouse Magazine $7.95 for a one-year U.S. print subscription. It's FB795 and it's good through this Friday, Sep. 18.

This link - http://tinyurl.com/kuwp3y - will take you to the new one-year print subscription, but you can click from there if you need to renew or are buying a gift subscription. This really would be a great time to order a gift subscription for a friend for under $10 and since the subscription would start with the Winter issue, they'd get their first magazine in January so it would be sure to get 2010 off to a GREAT start for them!

Just be sure to use that coupon code - FB795 to get the special price. Offer expires this Friday, Sep. 18th.

I hope the magazine will be a blessing to you. I took a break from writing for a few issues, but I should be back in there in Winter. Just pray the Lord will give me the words he wants me to write. I've been battling major writer's block!

Photo Scavenger Hunt

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:26:00 -0500

This month I volunteered to plan an activity for our homeschool teens during our support group meeting. Since we all know each other pretty well, I asked the parents if they would be ok with me organizing a photo scavenger hunt around our town for them.

The parents said, "Sure!" and I lined up a few parents to do the driving and began thinking of clues for interesting places around town.

We only had about 1 hour for the actual hunt so I gave each team 7 clues. The teams were told that the drivers couldn't tell the kids the answers, but that if they needed to stop and ask for help or "phone a friend" they could do that. Also, the drivers acted as photographers. I wanted the kids in each of the pictures.

For each group, I tried to include clues about:

a local landmark
a statue
doing something at a local park
an area business
a charitable group
a government building
specific words on a sign

I gave bonus points for bringing back brochures and extra-creative pictures to keep things interesting.

This clue said, "This notable boulder inspired a local restaurant."

This team had to be climbing.

This team had to find the 22,000 pound replica of King Arthur's Table!
(It's kind of tucked away in our town - a hidden treasure!)

This team had to figure out where the Two Chiefs statue was.

And this team had to strike a "dramatic pose" outside of our downtown theater.

It was SO much fun and I think both the kids AND the adults learned some new things about our community. I did learn one thing though. You can't take pictures outside of our courthouse.

One team's clue said for them to take a picture at the building where you go to get your driver's license. I knew that the kids probably couldn't go inside because of security concerns, but I didn't think there would be a problem with them taking a picture OUTSIDE. Mercy sakes, the guard came over and insisted on seeing that there wasn't a picture on the digital camera and everything. I felt kind of bad about that. That team came back to the church saying, "Well we might have won if the cops hadn't stopped us."

Not exactly the impression I wanted to make.

Oh well. I had called many of the businesses to explain that the kids would be stopping by, but had not anticipated that issue at the courthouse. Now we know though and we shan't do that again.

See, EVERY day is a learning day.

Have a great week!

The $7.95 Subscriptions Are Going Fast!

Tue, 8 Sep 2009 17:09:00 -0500

Remember when I told you about the $5 subscriptions at Amazon a few weeks ago? Well now the folks at TOS have a HUGE Labor Day special going on for their subscriptions.

They already sold over 1700 of the $7.95 one-year U.S. print subscriptions (in ONE day!) and they're only offering 3000 of these. You can use this to get a new subscription, give a gift to a friend, or even extend your own subscription!

Even if you live in an international location, you can subscribe to the digital version or renew your digital subscription for only $7.95! It's the same great content as the print magazine, except it is instant and interactive!

I really love having both!

Have a great week, Y'all. Today was our first day at a new co-op in our area. The boys all have great classes and are enjoying making new friends. The year is off to a great start!

Free Menu Planning Ebook

Wed, 2 Sep 2009 14:43:00 -0500

Just click the graphic.

School has started so we all have colds now...

Wed, 2 Sep 2009 02:22:00 -0500

We officially kicked off our school year on Monday this week. I was so proud of myself on Sunday night because I had all of our things laid out and ready to go for "the big day." I planned to wake up before the boys, have my quiet time, and really get things off to a good start. I even thought about how nice it would be to take the boys' First Day of School pictures and post them like so many of my facebook friends did.

Little did I realize that I was going to wake up with a killer cold that would make me seriously consider drilling holes in my sinus cavities to relieve the pressure.

So, instead, I woke up late. Spent the first hour of my day doing a sinus cleanse, whining, and taking all kinds of supplements and OTC meds, begging for relief. The boys were up and ready though so I drug myself to the table and we jumped into things. No pictures of the momentous event. My face hurt to much to play photographer. But at least we made it through Day 1.

However, I apparently shared more than just knowledge with the boys because they ALL woke up feeling like crud for Day 2 of our school year. Pictures are so overrated. What kid doesn't want to kick off the new school year with sinus pressure, a sore throat, and a pocket full of Kleenex?

Day 2:
We can't take a sick day on Day 2, can we?

I spent the better part of the morning at war with myself over that one.

"We homeschool, we have the freedom to school on a schedule that works for us. If everyone is feeling rotten, let's just make up this day later."

"No, we need to get in a routine. We JUST got started and I really don't want to rethink our schedule already."

Cough, cough. Hack, hack. Sneeze. Blow my nose. Whine about how bad my head hurts. Repeat.

So Day 2 of school didn't start until the afternoon, but it actually went remarkably well. By afternoon, everyone was rested up, could swallow once more, and was breathing a little easier (It's the little things in life that matter!) The weather was perfect so we did school outside on the patio. I figured the fresh air might be good for us.

And our "school" time really went very well. I'm going through some old Abeka readers with my youngest and it's pretty nice to see him catching on so well. I got to work one-on-one with my middle one on his math and explain some things that he needed help with. And I spent some time helping my oldest set up an account on MyCollegeOptions.com and play their ACT prep game. We did our history read-aloud, everybody worked on handwriting and grammar, my youngest got to put together a little wooden desk organizer kit from Lowe's, and then we spent a crazy amount of time playing Rhyming Words Memory, which was actually rather challenging. 48 cards are A LOT to try to remember!

So, while our school year hasn't started at all like I planned for it to, I'm amazed at how well it's going. God's grace is always there and He somehow makes something useful out of our imperfect, off-schedule, under-the-weather attempts. He amazes me.

I think I need to put chicken noodle soup on the school menu.

Love Them Anyway

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:18:00 -0500

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Be good anyway.

Honesty and frankness will make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People need help, but may attack you if you try to help them.
Help them anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.

~Mother Teresa