Hi everyone -
I've been keeping an art illustration blog and have found that I just don't have time to maintain two sites. 
So, if you'd like to know what's up with our family or check-out some of my artwork, you'll have to visit me at Illo Talk .
Blessings to all!
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Today, our big, multi-family, multi-subject CoOp met again. I’ve been teaching a class to the 9 yrs and up group on American Government and the election process. I couldn’t let the election year go by without doing something on that subject. It’s been REALLY interesting because there was a lot about the subject that I didn’t know.
A couple meetings back, the 12 students were randomly sorted into 2 groups, forming new“political parties.” They came up with their platform of ideas and the name of a faux candidate. This time, they were to get together and write a speech that someone in each party will deliver.
Well, in one of the parties, half of the kids were disagreeing with the other half on the stance they had taken on some issues. They decided to separate and form their own 3rd party. This was a decision that came late in the class with little time left to define their ideas. However, at the park afterwards (park day always follows CoOp), these kids spent much of their time debating issues and writing their speech. It was so inspiring to see them get so “into” it!
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If it hasn’t been a national story, a
Although it’s a shocking ruling that panicked many of us at first, I’m at peace knowing that this is all in the Lord’s hands. Unfortunately for the family who was prosecuted, they did not have HSLDA lawyers but had to rely on court appointed defense attorneys. But, with the huge public outcry and the current action of people like the HSLDA team and James Dobson, I seriously doubt that homeschooling will be made illegal. A friend told me today that Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger has spoken out against the ruling as well, but I haven’t read that anywhere yet.
I do fear, however, that our days of relatively minimal government involvement in
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I can't believe it's been a year and a half since I've been back to my blog. Clearly, I've gone through an extended period of being pulled in too many directions.
Needless to say, A LOT has happened in all of that time! I continue to work part-time at the bookstore, and there've been some health issues among the family (nothing too serious, but energy-draining).
About this time last year, I was in high gear working with a few visionary moms in our area to start a large-scale, multi-subject co-op like one we experienced at our old house. We opened it in September, ending up with about 25 families and around 60 kids! Our kids have had activities and instruction in things like cooking, art, American government, poetry, drama, ancient history, gymnastics, etc. and I think it's been successful (everyone seems to be blessed by the whole program). All of these were parent-taught with each of us sharing our special gifts and talents. However, with the need to hold sign-ups before everyone disappears for summer, the push is back on to get people involved and classes lined up. God met every need for this first year, I'm sure everything will work out as He intends.
I'm sure anyone who used to visit my blog has given up on me, but I'm back. My schedule is no less crazy, but I'm glad to be taking a few minutes to get back in the blogging groove. I've got lots to share!
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I just have to PRAISE GOD for all of the wonderful developments in my life!!! Our school year is going fantastic (not without minor fallouts, mind you). We've found our groove - the kids know what is expected and are getting better at managing their time and tasks. For the first time, I feel like we're moving forward instead of desperately trying to get some basic information to stick. It's funny, but I have to look back over the years and ask "why all the worry?" It's tough when your first child - your first effort at homeschooling - turns out to be a late bloomer in academics.
We started our Ancient History co-op (with only one other family), but the richness of Bible study alongside the study of ancient civilizations has so far been wonderful.
A HUGE PRAISE to God for the great strides that my husband (Mr. Spontaneous) and I have made in managing our finances. He finally reached the point that I reached long ago - we needed to be much better stewards of our money. I feel like we're working together as a team for the first time in our marriage (almost 11 years). I feel like there's the start of some sort of family vision and hope for our future. We will be going into the month of October without any Direct Deposit Advance deficit for the first time in a long time! PRAISE GOD!
I was able to visit with my mother who came down from Oregon last week, and I was able to transfer to a closer store for work, saving boatloads on gas (and the prices have been going down - here is California where it just finally dipped below $3/gallon, that's a big PRAISE GOD).
I am in one of those places where I am so grateful for so many things, yet I feel I should be preparing myself for trying times to come. My prayer request is for my dad - a Christian as far as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, but unable to accept that God is who He says He is. He has suffered his 2nd mild stroke in the past year and is suffering from complete kidney failure - he may need to go on the transplant list. As a family member, I am waiting to hear the call for compatibility testing (which I would answer, of course). But, it is a scary thought to undergo surgery and give up part of your body. Pray that God will be able to reach my father through this experience and that I might be used for this purpose - I hate confrontation, I go "deer-in-the-headlights" during debate, so I've always been a poor evangelizer.
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Wow! We've been officially back to school for 2 weeks. In the middle of that, my mom visited from Oregon, my brother and his family stayed here for the weekend, and I started my new job at B. Dalton. Oh, and soccer has started, so throw in several practices a week and a couple of games. No wonder time has flown by.
I have to say, I'm thrilled with our school year so far. My kids have settled in to their schedules with very little complaint. They are capable of a lot more and I am finally able to work with my 7 yo and really focus on her reading. My rather needy 11 yo has always monopolized my time, but we've worked everything out and he's working more independently now (huge sigh of relief).
The greatest development is that my son - the 11 yo who seems to be interested in little more than soccer and historical/strategic computer games - was miraculously inspired to write a story based on one of his medieval battle games. All of the writing skills that I've struggled to teach him (without much success) suddenly became important. Now, he suddenly understands quotation marks and punctuation like never before. Even if this is just a short-term thing, he's learned more about paragraph writing in these past few days than I think he did all last year!
I pray that things will continue like this - my mom was here and witnessed my son's unexpected zeal for writing. She's never been critical (although much of our family is "concerned"). Then, my 3 yo practiced sounding out 2-letter sounds for her. Hopefully, word will spread that the kids are just fine and others will stop worrying so much...
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Wow! I've been soooooo busy this past month - lots of company, a brief battle with illness (food poisoning I think), last chance at home improvement before school starts (some landscaping and painted the garage). I just didn't have the energy to sit down at the computer and think.
Anyway, we started our official first day of instruction today and all went well. I have imposed a couple new rules, mainly "no snacking during lessons." This was a problem last year as my kids always seemed to realize they were hungry in the middle of instruction and would want to get up for food. Or, my dd would be trying to read with her mouth full. So, I have a set snack time around 10:30. Otherwise, between 9:30 and lunch at 12:30, they're alternating meeting with me, working independently, or doing chores. After laying down the law, all went smoothly.
I'm looking forward to having a little more energy this year (hopefully). I just recently transfered from my position at the Barnes & Noble in San Luis Obispo - about 45 minutes away where closing shifts went until midnight - to B. Dalton nearby (same company). Now, I'll only have to drive 10 minutes and closing shifts go until 9:30. I was really starting to feel exhausted all the time - I could never seem to recover.
We'll see how things go...
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I started thumbing through the Saxon 65 book that I will be using for my son this year as I began planning our goals. We've used BJU since Kindergarten, and we did not finish the BJU 5 material from last year. So, I'll introduce a few final concepts from that book of that before moving over to Saxon.
As I looked through both books, I found myself starting to feel a bit concerned. After years of "easy" math, I have officially returned to the the level in which math began to be a challenge for me. I recall pretending to feel sick and go to the nurse's office during math about this time. As we know, the school system waits for no one, and so my fall through the cracks regarding public school math began.
Now, I was just skimming the book - not actually studying and learning the material - so there's no reason why it should suddenly make sense. But, this is the first time in our homeschooling experience that I've felt any sort of doubt about my ability to teach a subject. I'm sure as we go through lesson-by-lesson at a slow pace, we'll be able to figure it out.
On second thought, this might be a great development for my son. It will force us to really slow down and study the material together. I think we've been going a little fast for him recently.
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OK - I'm officially conflicted. I'm up and writing because I've been surprisingly bothered by a recent revelation regarding park days here in our homeschooling community. So, for the sake of shedding it's annoying grip, I had to get up and vent. This is the issue:
We moved to this community about a year ago and found it very difficult to connect with others. There are few kids at our church, few kids in our neighborhood, and requests to get together with other homeschoolers who might live in the area (via our support group e-loop) went completely unanswered.
So, we took the initiative to start a Park Day (something they had apparently done several years ago, but as their kids got older it had fizzled out). We've had a few people attend - a couple families who now know us through a science co-op we joined, and another brave soul who just "went for it" and brought her boys down to the park.
The thing that's worked its way under my skin is that I recently heard that people won't attend because they don't like the particular park we've been going to. We like it because it's very "woodsy." I'll admit the main downside is that the main bathrooms remain locked and there is only access to a porta-potty (a little-used and well-maintained one, though - my kids have no problem with it).
Now, FYI, I've expressed to those who have attended that I'm open to alternating parks - we're new to the area and don't know all the good parks around. But, I'm a bit surprised and discouraged by the criticism and suggested alternatives. It seems that the things our family likes (the outdoorsy, capture-the-flag, explorer/discovery opportunities) are an oddity. People seem to be most interested in parks with top quality bathroom facilities and play equipment. There are few - if any - trees to serve as forts or "home bases" for the games that they play (or even shade to sit under, for that matter).
Now, I have a 3 yr old so I know that bathrooms and equipment are important considerations, but even my 7 yo is already losing interest in play equipment. My 11 yo is completed disinterested in the sterile environment of some of these parks. Kids of all ages can find great inspiration and be very inventive whether or not they have a swing or a slide.
I know that we need to be vigilant over our children, but I am disappointed that we can't let them go wander through the trees - or climb one for that matter. I am responsible for making sure that I don't put them in harm's way, but I also have to give them little rein to explore, take responsibility, and trust that God is ultimately in charge (not me).
I don't mean to sound insensitive - I LOVE my kids and want desperately to protect them (in fact, I send my oldest with a walkie-talkie if he'll be out of my sight within the park; younger 2 must stay within eye- or earshot unless they're with the big kids). I could be hovering over them 24/7, yet if God says it's time for them to come home then there's nothing I can do about it. I know these are dangerous times, but I feel like we've gone overboard - we're fear-driven and err on the side of caution maybe a little too much. Parks are not just for little ones - older kids can benefit greatly from spending time outdoors, but their needs and interests are different.
Well, sorry for the lengthy rant - it was therapeutic (even if no one reads this far). Now, maybe I can sleep. Ggrrrrrrr.
Blessings
Diane
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I'm gearing up for next year and the Biblical History and Ancient Civilizations study that I'm going to do with my family. I'm hoping to do it as a co-op, but so far I haven't been able to get any interested families.
Still, I'm finding my research fascinating! In school, I had learned about ancient history with no mention of biblical history. Later, I learned Bible stories out of order and out of the context of history. I'm really enjoying putting all of the pieces together.
It's going to be lots of fun to do as a unit study with lots of fun activities. I found out how to mummify a grocery store chicken, so that will be one of the things we do. It will be even more fun if we can get a few other kids together.
One good thing that has come out of all of this process is that my kids have actually gotten to see ME researching, compiling notes, etc. - to see how one seeks out information about interesting things and not have everything told to you. My reluctant reader son asked, "Are you reading that for fun?" The answer, of course, was "YES!"
He has been so resistant to academics over the years and he's so particular about his interests. It appears that he doesn't like to be "instructed" about everything, but likes to have some control over his learning (a good thing in the future - a challenge now). Later, I planted a Roman Army book on the bookshelf that I had bought for him several years ago, before he could really read. I've caught him with it a couple of times now, reading several pages at a time. I'm very encouraged.
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I just received a prayer request from a good friend and Pastor of the church we used to attend before moving last year. He and his family just moved to Colorodo about 2 weeks ago.
Apparently, on Wednesday night, he joined in a soccer game with some high school-aged boys. Some were Christians and some were homeschooled as well. A heavy rain began to fall, but they kept on playing. He had to leave and asked if any of the boys would share their phone number as he has a teenage son and they're still trying to meet people. One of the boys offered, so they went and got into the Pastor's van to write it down. Right at that moment, lightning struck the field, knocking out several of the boys. One later died - a devoted Christian young man who was one of 11 children and had just returned from a missions trip to Brazil.
Neither the Pastor or the boy with him in the van had realized what had happened. The boy had gotten out of the van and the Pastor had driven off. He happened to be going to the Sheriff's Department at the time where he learned what had happened and hurried back to be with the boys and their families.
He asked for prayers for Andrew (who died) and his family (who showed incredible grace under the circumstances). This is a reminder that we should embrace each day and live it for the glory of God as we don't know when our time will come.
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We've become quite the river family lately. The Santa Ynez River is about halfway between our home and my husband's job, so we have gotten in the habit of meeting my husband there on Friday's after work. There's still plenty of daylight and warmth - it's been a great way to unwind and ring in the weekend.
Today, we decided to introduce our dog to the river. After seeing how she reacted to baths, it's clear that she is not a "water dog." She was hesitant, but she did eventually go in. At first, she just got her paws wet. But, eventually, she went in a little further. She seemed to accept it, so long as it didn't get as high as her belly. But, the water level is getting really low in some spots now.
The pond that we had gotten our tadpoles from has almost completely dried up. My son found a dead tadpole whose legs were fully developed, and we studied it for a moment (for the sake of science). Last time we went to the river, my kids caught several frogs - even my cautious, city-boy son (I was so proud of him). My 3 year old even kissed her frog - no prince, though.
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Had a great time at the CHEA convention this past weekend. I've attended for six or seven years and it's always so incredibly inspiring! There are usually seminars dealing with the same issues that I'm facing. However, there wasn't anything that really stood out like that on the agenda this year. I had no idea how soon I would need some of the knowledge and strength that I picked up from CHEA in the days following.
One of the main speakers, Dr. Jeff Myers, had some great things to say in several of his seminars. One that I attended was on dealing with all of the worldly influences from things such as the media (advertisements, movies, etc.). In another, he talked about some of the ways that Satan works to damage families.
After I came flying home on a cloud from the convention, I found out that my oldest (11 yo son) managed to find some extremely pornographic websites. Sadly, the web history read Disney, Postopia (a breakfast cereal game site), Hardcore Sex Shack, Nude Women... he had been visiting children's sites and dad had been occupied with guests from out of town. He does not have a computer in his room - it's in ours. I was devastated.
BUT, I was so proud of my son (in spite of the fact that he followed MANY sex links). The reason we found out was because he approached my husband with tears streaming from his eyes to confess that he had done something awful. I sat down with him and we had a beautiful heart-to-heart about God and His plans for him and the way that Satan will do anything to keep him from achieving those goals. Many of the issues touched upon at the conference were very useful in our discussion. My son LOVES computers, but he has gladly accepted our punishment, ban on computer usage, and future restrictions. He hasn't complained or asked to go on the computer.
The Lord prepared me to handle what I came home to. And, I think my conversation with my son did more to open his heart to God than anything else in recent time. It is through the trials that we make the greatest strides in our growth. Pray for us.
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We took a trip back to the river recently and returned the remaining pond critters to their natual home. I think the only ones to survive were the snails. They were actually quite fun to watch - we think of them as doing very little, but they were actually pretty active. They don't swim, but they would just let go of things and float until they bumped into something else. Often, they would twist and twirl along the way - maybe it was their attempt at "steering" through the water.
Anyway, by the end of this whole thing, the water had cleared up beautifully and the smell was gone - just the snails remained. I'm guessing that the water had been pretty foul because of all of the dying organisms. The tiny pool that we had collected our sample from had been separated from the main river as it partially dries up for summer, so it was just loaded (perhaps overloaded) with tiny organisms. We looked at some under the microscope. Perhaps if we had taken our sample from the main river, it would not have been so "crowded."
All of this made me think about evolution and the idea that life worked itself out of a primordial soup. We had a life-infested soup and almost everything died. Certainly the snails would eventually die for lack of anything to eat if we hadn't taken them back. The odds of complex life working itself out of a similar - though not exact - situation seem so incredibly remote. Animals and organisms reproduce very quickly, yet the time it supposedly took for things to evolve and venture out of the soup was tremendously long. It seems to me that there would be a lot more death. Oh well, I'm sure evolutionists can come up with a convenient - hypothetical - explanation.
Just some thoughts and observations.
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Wow! I can't believe it's the end of June already! Where does the time go?!
Anyway, we're enjoying our summer. As I mentioned before, we continue doing a little schoolwork everyday - I leave my oldest a short list and then he joins me for 1 lesson. I'm impressed with how he has stepped right up - he only complained the first day or two of summer "vacation." But, his ability to work independently has greatly improved (at long last). As a result, my 7 yo is making greater stides in her reading.
It makes such a difference to have the "pressure off." It makes me wonder why, as homeschoolers, do we feel so much pressure during the school year? We are so trained by our government school upbringing to load up our days and charge ahead, and then set it all aside in June only to fall back again. What a strange race it is! Good riddance!
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I'm having a hard time with text colors and I don't know how to link blog sites, but I've got to post this at long last... sorry if it's hard to read
1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4.
"...next, and her father would shake his head and say, "I..." line 4, pg. 18 of The Book of Story Beginnings by Kristin Kladstrup (you can't really tell from this, but it's a young readers novel that I borrowed from work and I'm reading with the kids).
2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What can you touch?
curtains
3. What was the last thing you watched on TV?
World Cup Soccer - France vs. Spain
4. Without looking, guess what time it is.
2:00 p.m.
5. Now look at the clock. What is the actual time?
1:52 p.m.
6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
lawn mower in the distance
7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
About 3 hours ago - sweeping the back patio
8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at?
checked my e-mails
9. What are you wearing?
capri pants (beige) and a t-shirt (light green)
10. Did you dream last night?
I did, but I don't remember very much except that there was a snake involved - a very aggressive one that would chase and bite. This is odd because I usually don't remember my dreams.
11. When did you last laugh?
Last night.
12. What is on the walls of the room you are in?
Paint swatches - every room in the house was painted white before we moved in EXCEPT this one...it's purple (walls and ceiling).
13. Seen anything weird lately?
Can't think of anything.
14. What do you think of this quiz?
Interesting to find out little tidbits about people.
15. What is the last film or video you saw?
Cars.
16. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy?
There's a lot that could be done! But, to be brief, I'd really like to get an RV or one of those Coleman pop-up tent trailer things, pack up the family, and go explore the country for a year or so.
17. Tell me something about you that I do not know.
I am an artist in a family of scientists - my uncle is the explorer who found the Titanic.
18. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
That's a tough one. I guess I'd like EVERYONE to know Jesus.
19. Do you like to dance?
I liked to take dance classes as a girl, but I don't really like to go out dancing.
20. Comment to George Bush:
Seek the Lord in all that you do and decisions you make.
21. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
Haley.
22. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
Zachary.
23. Would you ever consider living abroad?
I would consider it, but I can't see it ever happening.
24. What do you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gate?
"Welcome home."
25. What one book, besides the Bible, has changed your life?
Discover Your Child's Learning Style by Mariaemma Willis and Victoria Kindle-Hodson. It was incredibly helpful in our homeschool adventure.
26. 3-5 people who must also do this quiz on THEIR blog:
Jessiewalkingbyfaith
Ktneis
Gabalot
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Well, tomorrow begins our "summer schedule." We really school year-round since we take time off as we need it throughout fall, winter, and spring. But, the kids have friends who are off over summer, so we take-on a more casual lesson line-up.
One of my biggest missions this past year was to get my oldest working more independently. He was a "late" reader (according to meaningless public school standards), so he's always needed me at his side to explain directions and walk him through lessons. But, now he's reading and I have a 7 yo that needs my time as well. I feel that we were very successful in taking those steps - he gets a list of things to do (chores & lessons), and he has to meet with me for 3 guided lessons (math, language arts, and spelling). He really likes having some control over his day and I think he will learn valuable time-management skills that most kids his age don't get to practice.
So, over summer, I'll still expect him to do his quiet reading and maybe an "independent study" item or two. And, we'll just do one of the guided lessons each day. We'll still be progressing, but the pressure is off. I'll be able to get my 7yo reading like she wants to.
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OK - I followed all recommendations and the only things that survived in our mini-pond are the snails!
Hold on a minute...
I was going to write about science, but my oldest (ds, 11yo) asked me to come out to the kitchen. He had put away all of the dishes that had been drip drying on the counter without anyone asking him to. Then, he actually said that he wanted to "help out more around the house." I could have sworn I saw a pig fly by the window at that very moment. We'll see how long it lasts...
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I'm so excited - I finally got the hotel room filled and we'll be heading to the CHEA Convention in July. I've gone every year and, even though I've moved farther away, I was determined to keep up the tradition. It's always been a great "girl's weekend away," and it will be no different this year. Of course, now I have some new friends to bunk with. And, I'll have the opportunity to meet fellow-blogger Lizziebee in person.
Anyway, the park days that our family initiated are starting to build momentum. We had a great time last Friday - some of the kids were up to their elbows in papier mache. But, the remainder of the balloons ended up full of water, flying through the air. Very refreshing on a hot almost-summer day. I think next week we'll suggest squirt guns.
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I've had a hard time getting back on the blog lately - I'm not sure why I'm so busy. Well, I guess it has something to do with kids, work, park days, housework...
I haven't been feeling well lately, either. I've been opting to go to sleep instead of stay up for "me" time.
So far, our poker chip motivational system is working pretty well. There has been an improvement in their response time when asked to do a task (they get a chip if they move immediately). Each child still has struggles in some areas and end up losing chips here and there - my oldest tries to avoid brushing teeth in the morning, and my middle child often leaves her dish in the sink. I planned a special movie outing if they were able to collect (and not spend) at least 12 chips - we went to see the Disney/Pixar movie Cars. We really enjoyed it.
It was really a last minute thing. I wanted to give them something special to use their chips for since we don't get to the movies very often. But while we were there, I found out that Regal Cinemas is offering FREE Family movies every Tuesday and Wednesday mornings throughout summer. Regal includes Edwards Theaters as well - that's what we have nearby. Anyway, you can go to Regal's website, locate a participating theater near you, and see what movies they have scheduled June-August.
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