I'm finally getting around to this tag from Laura!

Let's see, well, some of my off-line friends know these things, but I'll bet most of my blog readers don't:

1~ I have been a book-lover all my life!  According to my grandmother, I was reading by the age of three, and I've never stopped since.  (And no, I'm not a genius, she just let me watch a lot of PBS )

2~ When I was in high school, I had a beautiful white Arabian horse named "Shah"...and boy, did he know he was beautiful! 

3~ I've technically been to three countries other than the U.S.: Russia, Honduras, and Germany, although the only thing I did in Germany was spend a really long layover.

4~ I am unbelievably clumsy!  If there is a way to hurt myself, I will find it.

5~ I absolutely can not drive a stick shift.

I have to admit, that was actually fun.  I have another tag to get to, but that one will have to wait until tomorrow!

And now I actually have to find people to tag...hmm...let's see who in my friends list hasn't been tagged yet.  I'm going to tag my friends SoCalVal, Laurie, Diane, and Neet. 

I snapped this picture of the girls outside a few days ago.  Our Lily is definitely a dreamer... she just sat down on the tree root to think.  Kate must have thought it looked like fun because after a couple of minutes she sat right down to join her!

 

As I posted earlier, I've decided to start putting some daily journal-type entries on the blog.  So many moms have told me that they just really want to see what real-life is like with younger children at home.  Those with older kids seem to have blocked that out...ha!  Anyway, I hope to give those moms a peek into what goes on at our house all day. 

 

Well, thanks to an extra-large diet Coke that was supposed to only keep me awake during Bible study last night, I couldn't go to sleep until after midnight.  Our alarm clock is broken, so my plans were to get up when Jonathan got home from work at about 6:00 this morning...

 

6:00 a.m.- Jonathan gets home.  I hear him open the door, but he's so exhausted he doesn't even turn on the TV.  I think I'll wait just a few minutes before I get up so I don't disturb him...

 

7:15 a.m.- I don't realize I've fallen back asleep until Lily sneaks downstairs and into bed with us.  I don't want to miss my quiet time, so I let her watch PBS for a few minutes while I read in 1 Timothy.  Ben gets up and I let him watch along with Lily for a few minutes. 

 

8:00 a.m.- We turn off the TV and begin talking about the day ahead.  The kids are excited about their final library summer reading program, a magic show at the park.  Kate gets up while we're cooking sausage biscuits and we eat together.  She is so funny in the mornings.  From the minute her feet hit the floor she's starving!  She must be going through a growth spurt or something.  The entire time she's waiting, she's yelling, "I'm staaaving!  I need sompin' in my mouf!"

 

9:15 a.m.- We've spent way too much time talking, and we only have 45 minutes before we need to leave.  We rush about a little, getting everyone dressed.  Miraculously, we all find socks.  That's usually our downfall, but today they were both matched and clean!

 

10:05 a.m.- We leave the house almost on time and get to the park a little early, which was good because the magic show had been relocated due to the weather.  Ben and Lily got a kick out of the show, but Kate wouldn't let go of my legs.    After the show, we ran through Kroger and picked up some groceries for lunch.

 

12:00- We get back home and fix lunch.  I watch Mr. Rogers with the kids while we eat.  We have really been cutting down on the TV time lately, but Mr. Rogers is one we rarely miss.  All three kids love it, and it has a very calming effect on Kate. 

 

1:00- I put Kate down for her nap, and she promptly falls asleep.  (Thank you, Mr. Rogers!)  Every day when she's down for her nap, Ben, Lily, and I have a silent reading time.  I am reading through My Antonia, and Ben and Lily read library books.  I stretch the time out until 2:00 because everyone was worn out from the morning.

 

2:00- I let Ben & Lily have some free time with Daddy while I do some household chores.  No sooner have I hung the laundry out on the line that it comes a downpour.  Never fails!  Ben helps me bring the laundry in. 

 

3:00- I leave the house to go by the cell phone company so that they can switch Jonathan's number to a different phone, since some unnamed 2 year old has dropped his in the toilet.  I get halfway to the car before I realize I've left the windows rolled down....arggghhh!  I pay a bill while I'm out, then head home to dry off.

 

4:00- Kate's still asleep when I get back home.  (Now how did that happen?)  I run up and quickly check my email and start to tackle the laundry room.  This is one of the last frontiers of our move.  We've had boxes stacked up in there that haven't been touched, and I want to get through them by this weekend.  Jonathan helps me get dinner ready so that I can keep working on it, and Kate finally gets up a little before 5.  And wonder of all wonders, she's still not had an accident!  Isn't it funny the things that amaze you when you're potty-training!  She's also wearing a completely different outfit than she was when I put her down, but that's just another day in the life of Kate.  I need to post some pictures of her "outfits" soon.

 

6:00- After we eat, Jonathan lays down for a quick nap since he has to work tonight as well.  The kids are pretty well behaved, with the older two watching their sister and helping me out. 

 

8:00- We sit down as a family and watch "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?"  And yes, I realize that we are supposed to be taking time off of TV, but after all that running and cleaning, well, I doubt I'm much smarter than a kindergartner. 

 

9:00- The kids get ready for bed, and Jonathan and I continue breaking our resolutions by watching "So You Think You Can Dance."  He leaves for work about 9:30.

 

10:00- I head upstairs to check my email and blog a bit.  I really want to finish the laundry room tonight, so I'm probably going to be up for a while.

 

Goodnight everybody!

 

 

Before I begin our "day in the life..." entries, I wanted to take some time to outline our personal homeschool ideals.  As you can tell from the title, our "schooling" would most likely fit in the eclectic category.  I've heard many varied and complicated definitions of eclectic homeschooling, but to us it's pretty simple.  We choose our resources with a certain end in mind.  I'll explain more in a minute, but first a disclaimer:

 

I am certainly not going to look down upon other homeschoolers who use an across-the-board, pre-packaged curriculum.  I truly believe that God gave each of our families specific traits so that different curricula work for different families.  I also believe that even within the same family, different choices are going to be needed at different times.  But for us, eclectic homeschooling and the freedoms that go with it are exactly what our family needs. 

 

So what exactly does eclectic homeschooling look like?  Well, in planning for the next year I begin with the end in mind.  The first things to consider is what people in authority are going to require from us.  (Otherwise known as the School Board and Daddy!  )  Then I take a look at where my child is academically, emotionally, spiritually, and compare that with where I want them to be at the end of the year, and choose my resources from those goals.

 

Am I worried about gaps?  No, not a bit.  There are always going to be gaps.  There is no text available that covers every subject at a comprehensive level.  It just isn't possible.  What I do want is for my child to love to learn and how to educate his or herself.  Once these things are ingrained, anything else can be picked up at any time it's needed.

 

This will be our fifth year homeschooling, so I'm not an expert at this by any means.  But I have found some freedoms in eclectic homeschooling that I want to mention:

 

1) Freedom to make your own schedule- You want to have two heavy science days to take advantage of a certain project?  Go for it!  You plan it yourself so you don't feel the guilt of getting "behind" on someone else's schedule because your children were learning something else.  Or worse yet, you miss the chance to get some amazing hands-on learning because you're a slave to the curriculum instead of the other way around.

 

2) Freedom to tailor your curriculum to your child- So Johnny needs to learn basic grammar, but is reading well above grade level?  Skip the packaged language arts curriculum, buy a grammar book and move through it as quickly as Johnny needs, not as quickly as someone else tells you to.

 

3) Freedom to chase rabbit trails- This is probably my favorite of the list.  The most productive days for us are when we get interested in something we just can't let go of.  When we read The Apple and the Arrow, I looked up William Tell on the internet, and found the William Tell overture.  A couple more clicks of the mouse, and we're watching a YouTube video of a guy who can play the William Tell overture on his hands.  The kids loved it!  Frivolous, you think?  Just last week we were watching something where a lady was singing a certain tune...Ben piped up and said, "Hey, Mom, that's the William Tell Overture!"  If you enjoy it, it's gonna stick!

 

4) Freedom to take advantage of the library- There is absolutely no better resource for homeschoolers than their public library.  Rather than reading about the Civil War in a textbook, round up your crew and take them to check out a few books.  A great historical novel will lead to a nonfiction book will lead to a website search will lead to a Civil War nut buff.  I should know.  I'm married to one.

 

The library has so many other advantages as well.  It's a great habit to keep throughout life for any lover of learning.  It's also a great responsibility to teach children to take care of things. 

 

5) Freedom to build relationships- I know that if my children were using pre-packaged curricula, their time together would be more limited.  As it is, I can choose certain topics to teach to them together.  Some of my greatest mommy-moments are when I hear Ben & Lily pretending to be characters in a book we've read together.

 

For more information on eclectic homeschooling, check out Eclectic Homeschooline Online or the HOMEschool Fellowship Message Board.

 

I'm excited to keep tabs on our day tomorrow and share it with you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or is that the other way around? 

 

I just realized it's been almost a week since I've posted.  Things have been a little crazy around here this week.  The kids are finishing up their final week of the library's summer reading program, and they have enjoyed every minute of it.  I for one am going to be glad to spend some time at home and not be running to town three times a week.

 

I have also picked up a little side job this week, which I have enjoyed more than I ever thought I would.  I am working for Ladybug Blessings, a company that is run by a homeschooling family.  They make soaps, body creams, and all other kinds of natural products.  So in other words, someone is paying me to be around great-smelling stuff!

 

I am going to post a "day in the life" very soon, but tonight I'm going to write a separate post to tell you all a little of our personal homeschooling philosophy.  Or at least what it's going to look like when we're not in the car everyday...

About the time that my oldest child was reaching those toddler years, I heard about Susannah Wesley.  She had not only given birth to nineteen children, she had faithfully and lovingly discipled them through some very difficult circumstances.  Of course, the world remembers her as the mother of John and Charles.  Read more about Susannah Wesley here.

 

Anyway, as the story goes, whenever Susannah needed some quiet time in prayer, she would put her apron over her head.  She trained her children in such a way that they absolutely would not bother her if that apron was on her head.  While I thought this was amazing, I found myself longing for something a little more sound-proof. 

 

Well, today the children and I loaded up in the van for Kate's library program, and before backing out of the driveway I put in a Todd Agnew CD.  From the backseat, I hear this sweet little voice say, "Mommy, are you in a bad mood?"

 

I answered, "No, honey, why?"

 

"Because you always turn this CD up really loud when you're in a bad mood."

 

Yikes!  LOL!  And that's when I realized that I did have an apron of sorts.  Todd Agnew's CDs have a quality in them that just allows me to let go, to focus in on what's really important, to get my priorities straight again.  True worship at it's best.  (Not to mention that playing it really loud blocks out all the other noise!)

 

So we talked a little about taking time out to focus on how important it is to not lose your temper when you got frustrated.  And how in families we tend to take our frustrations out on each other just because we're there.  And then I took all three children into a library program with dozens of yelling and screaming toddlers and their siblings....

 

On the way back home I rolled down the windows and turned up Todd Agnew.  The kids didn't make a sound.

 

 

Hi everyone!

 

I wanted to take some time out this morning to let you all know about some changes in the blog.  The first you've probably already noticed- I changed my blog template this morning.  I wanted something more summer-oriented.  (Plus I just got awful tired of typing in orange!)  I will also be adding some other personalized features, but as you all know I'm not the most tech-savvy person, so it may take me some time.

 

Also, I've been told by quite a few people that they would appreciate some "day in the life" posts.  Sort of a running day journal of exactly how our day looks.  I know that this would have been immensely helpful to me when we were in that critical "considering homeschooling" stage, so I've decided to bite the bullet and go for it. 

 

It is my goal to post at least one of those this week, but for now I'm off and running to get some housework done before we head off to the library this afternoon!

 

We've finally recovered from vacation- isn't that the way it always goes?- and I wanted to post some pictures of what we've been up to.

Our first stop was at my grandparents' house in North Carolina.  My grandfather's family always has their reunion on the Sunday before Memorial Day, and I really enjoy getting to catch up with everyone.  This year, though, I really missed my "little" brother, Morgan.  He's definitely not so little anymore, but serving in the army and sweating it out in the California desert.  He's always so much fun at family gatherings, and I really missed having him by our side this year.  We love you, Uncle Mo Mo!

Here are a few pictures from our time in the mountains!


This is the view from their front porch- breathtakingly beautiful!


This is my mom (yeah, who would have guessed, huh?) with Kate.  She has so much fun with the kids, and they sure do love their Nana!


One amazing thing that my family did for me was to instill a love of reading from a very young age!  I was thrilled to sneak in a couple of pictures of Papaw and Mamaw doing the same for their great-grandchildren. 


From North Carolina we drove straight on to Texas!  It was about an 18-hour day in the van, and we drove through 9 states!  They had been getting quite a bit of rain down there, but thankfully it let up enough for us to take advantage of some outdoor fun!

Tuesday morning we went to the Frontiers of Flight museum at Love Field.  They had some amazing exhibits- truly something for everyone.  The boys, of course, are always fascinated with anything that has a motor.    I really enjoyed the odds and ends pieces, such as the radio operator's stool from the Hindenburg, and Admiral Byrd's parka from the North Pole expedition.  They also had lots of hands- on activities for the younger crowd.


Here's Jonathan giving Kate a piggy-back ride- I think she enjoyed it much more than he did.


These seats were just perfect! 

On Wednesday, another storm came through in the morning.  We hung out at Mema's house, and she opened up her "beauty parlor" to keep the girls occupied.


That afternoon the rain finally cleared, and we took the kids to the Wiggly Play Center, where the kids had a blast.  I didn't even try to take any pictures there!  The kids wouldn't stand still long enough!

On Thursday and Friday they hit the pool at Uncle Chris and Aunt Karen's house.  Kate would not let go of Grace, or "Geesie," as she's renamed her, and Jackson tried to teach Benjamin to swim.

 
He was much more interested in getting his picture taken!


My silly Lily!


Kate just enjoyed hanging out around the edges and watching everyone.

Friday night we were invited to Grace's 10th birthday party.  We all had pizza and hot dogs, then watched Night at the Museum in the backyard.  It really was the perfect ending to our trip!  We left for home early Saturday morning, and didn't get back until after midnight.  After such a long time in the car, we were very glad to be back home.

 

Mother's Day never fails to put me in a reflective mood.  There are so many emotions that the holiday brings forth.  We are thankful that God would allow us to become mothers.  We are joyful that our children and husbands love us enough to tell us "thank you."  We might also be tearful, thinking about our mothers or other loved ones that are no longer with us.  But among all these emotions, one other unexpected one always sneaks in there- guilt.

I'm sure that all of you moms know what I'm talking about.   While everyone is singing your praises, you are reminded over and over again just how many times you've lost your patience that week.   I had to laugh when I walked into Sunday School that morning and learned that our topic was hypocrisy!  But during the course of the lesson, Jonathan said something that changed my perspective drastically.  And it's as simple as this:  We're all hypocrites.  It's true!  None of us truly practice what we preach.

But you know what's more amazing than that?  God knew that we would be hypocritical.  He knew that we would lose our patience with our children while supposedly teaching them to be patient.  He knew that we would yell at our children to be quiet.  He knew that we would not consistently point them towards Him.  Are you ready for where I'm going with this?  Here it is...

He entrusted these children to us anyway.  Not to pretend that we're perfect, but to show them that He is.  It's our job to let our children know that we make mistakes.  Or as Jonathan would say: Christianity is not about Christians, it's about Christ.

So how do we go about applying this to every day life?  In a word, honesty.  When we're wrong in the way we've dealt with a situation, we admit it.  I'll be the first to say, I haven't done this in the past because I've been worried that my kids won't obey my authority if I do.  But the Bible sees this as two separate issues.  We are commanded to obey authority.  But every authority aside from God is flawed in its very nature. 

We watched Chicken Little last night, and I saw a great example of this.  I'll spare you the details, but when Chicken Little finally confronts his father with his feelings, his father does something unusual.  He apologizes, but that's not necessarily even the unusual part.  He changes his behavior, because he realizes that it was wrong.  He doesn't let the excuse of "asserting his authority" stand in the way of repentance and renewal.  Not that Disney-Pixar would have used those terms.