Hi ho all!  Just wanted to let you know about something we picked up a couple of weeks ago.  It's called the TV Guardian (We have the 201).  When you hook it up to your TV, it mutes offensive Language.  We have it set to the strictest setting and it mutes out when people use the Lords name in vain, among other things.  It's only as good as the closed captioning on whatever video/TV show you are watching, and so far we are very pleased. 

Speaking of TV, we were so disappointed to see the new host and judge on "America's got talent"  That show started off harmless enough last season, until some of the "acts" became raunchy.  Now with the two new additions, that will be one show we won't be watching this time around.  Why do they have to ruin a perfectly good concept with trash?????

It is estimated that 80-90 percent of children from Christian families attend public schools.  One argument that I hear is "I want my children to be the salt and light of the school; I want them to be missionaries."

Is a 5, 8, or 12 year old student old enough to be a missionary?  Sure, there are children in mission fields all over the world with their parents.  If you send your young, impressionable child off to school alone, will they share the gospel with their non-Christian friends, or will they hide their Christianity to "fit in"

One last question......How do you know your children are the missionaries in class?  Is it possible that other children who don't come from a Christian family are the missionaries?  Perhaps they are "ministering" to your child far more than your child is ministering to them.

God Bless and have a great weekend!

Well, it has been a long summer of heath problems, however, I'm praying that is behind us and we can move on with the business of homeschooling!

Today was our first official day, and I'm sorry to say it wasn't everything I wanted it to be.   I'm glad we are starting slow, adding new subjects every few days, but it was dreary outside, everyone seems to have a runny nose, and the baby was into everything.  However, I know it will get better!  If I ever needed encouragement to keep on going, it is found here and here.

We are also beginning the task of remodeling our house   DH warned me it would probably take several years to finish as we are doing most of the work ourselves.  I'm starting to look forward to the task and would like some suggestions from all of you of things you have done or would like to do to make your home more "homeschool friendly"

Take care and God Bless!!!

Wendy

Please answer the following questions:

What is the name of your homeschool? Theophilus Academy

How did you come up with that name? DH thought it up

Look to the left of your computer monitor. What is there? My handheld computer and a phone

Where do you keep you unmatched socks? In the drawer with the matched ones

What habit are you trying to break? I have lot's of bad habits....but I'm not currently trying to break any LOL

What were you doing just before you got online? Eating Lunch

Have you ever typed something into a search engine and then became engrossed in the results, despite the fact that they were not your intended search? Such the case this morning when I typed in "God's Design lesson plans"  The most "facinating" site I happened upon was this one.

The scary part of this site is that people call evolution "science" and creationism "theory"  Science by definition has to something you can reproduce.  Has anyone ever been able to reproduce evolution in a lab setting?????? 

I didn't think so.

The scariest part of this is that these people want your children to believe these lies.  I'm so blessed to have my kids at home.  And so are you.  Please keep them at home....all the way through high school.  It will be well worth the time.

Good morning all from sunny Illinois!  I'm strongly considering going to a year round school schedule.  I would love to know how you all structure  your school days/weeks/months/years.  Do you do four days a week or five?  Do you do every subject every day?  I'm looking forward to reading the hundreds of responses I'm sure I'll get!!! 

Wow, I'm really behind on my blog, but honest I have a good answer!!!

I spent last week (amidst other things) preparing for the APACHE conference.  I poured over curriculum reviews trying to decide what I wanted to buy, and what would work best for our family.  It was my little effort to be prepared and not spend so much money.  (Insert husbands laughter here)

Anyhoo, I thought I had it mostly figured out, but you know how things change.  I had it in my mind that I would get switched on schoolhouse  history/geography(despite the mixed reviews) so I would have a subject Rachel could work on by herself.  After a chance meeting with a stranger and a discussion on what we had seen and liked, she told me about Myteries of History.  I attended one of the authors workshops and was hooked.  As for the other subjects, we will be sticking with Bob Jones for Rachel's math, and using:

Math U See-Matthew

God's Design (Science)- Both

Reading made easy-Matthew

Rod & Staff English-Rachel

Rosetta Stone-Spanish

All in all it was a successful conference, but I need a vacation now!!!  LOL

I'm not sure how we are going to do Bible.  I'm wondering if we need a seperate subject area since our history and science are infused with Bible.  We'll probably just need a daily reading schedule.  For those of you who have this homeschool thing figured out, feel free to leave suggestions.  For those of you like me who haven't figured it out, feel free to leave suggestions too!

Want to really confuse your students?  Have your gender reassigned  Give me a break. 

For proof that political correctness has gone a wee bit to far, read this!

We are working on first time obedience at our house.  I'm constantly amazed at the number of people who will argue with their children.  Last week we were at a playland when we witnessed such an event.  A woman was ready to go home but her three year old was not.  Here was the conversation:

Mom: Time to go

Girl: wahhhhhhhh

Mom: I'm not going to let you do this to me!

Girl: wahhhhhhh

Mom: I'm not going to let you do this to me!

Girl: wahhhhhhhh

Mom: I'm not going to let you do this to me!

Girl: wahhhhhhh

After some more screaming by both parties and mom telling the three year old how selfish she was, they left with mom fuming. 

It was an ugly scene, but certianly not unusual.  It happens all the time.  My kids are not perfect, but they know if you make a scene once, don't expect to come back! 

I'm wondering, if more parents inforced a zero tolerance policy at home, would it be necessary to have one in the schools?  I mean, if you give them a second chance, a third chance, a forth chance, etc, why should they listen to you , teachers, or anyone the first time?   Kids need clear boundries.  They need to know their are clear absolute rights and wrongs. 

Just a thought........

I can't believe that my last post was about a tornado, and tonight we are expecting a snowstorm!  This is crazy!!!!

At least I have flash lights that work, but alas, we are out of peanut butter cups.  I better get to the store......

Illinois saw some rough weather last night!  I thought we were prepared to the weather since I had gone out several months ago and purchased flash lights and placed them stratigically around the house.  It was last night I discovered that some small people in my house had "relocated" my flashlights.  Never mind the fact that they have their very own flashlights!!!!  However, I located a couple of them and we bunkered down in the basement with donuts and peanut butter cups until it passed. 

A new day is here and perhaps this would be a good time to take inventory:

flashlights-check

candles-check

cell phone-check

donuts & peanut butter cups-need to re-stock

On rainy days we can move school back an hour or so to enjoy chocolate chip pancakes!!!

Now it's time to "do school" in our jammies!!!!!!

A few years ago, we felt convicted about the things our kids were seeing on TV and got rid of the cable and signed up for sky angel satelite (family friendly TV!, mostly Christian channels!)  Anyway, we have had some problems with the satelite this week so this morning we are watching Saturday cartoons with the good ol' rabbit ears.

Well, we were watching a seemingly harmless cartoon when the characters started talking about "hotties"  Am I the only one who thinks this is not appropriate for children? 

I can't wait until the satelites fixed and we can go back to watching Davey and Goliath! 

Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.
-- Robert Fulghum

Wow.  This one hits home.  

The kids may not remember the 10 minute speech about kindness, but they will remember mommy nagging daddy about this, that or the other. 

They may not remember the hour long disertation about patience, but they will remember daddy yelling at the car in front of him that did not go on green!

They may not remember the week long discussion about honesty, but they will remember pretending not to be home when doorbell rings.

On that note, I thnk I need to re-read She's gonna blow by Julie Ann Barnhill.  Mommy has been less than the picture of patience this week!

"Let the children...be carefully instructed in the principles and obligations of the Christian religion.  This is the most essential part of education.  The great enemy of the salvation of man, in my opinion, never invented a more effectual means of extripating Christianity from the world than by persuading mankind that it was improper to read the Bible at schools"~Benjamin Rush

Taken from The Evidence Bible (It is a sidenote to  Proverbs 22:6-Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.)

He's such a sweetie!!!!!

Happy Birthday to me!

How old could I be?

I'll give you a hint,

I was born in seventy-three!

I'm shocked that I haven't made more of a living with my awsome rhyming talents!  LOL

One of the Bibles I use is called The Evidence Bible which includes some interesing quotes.  One that I keep going back to is:

"I am much afraid that schools will prove to be the great gates of hell unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in the hearts of youth.  I advise no one to place his child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount.  Every institution in which men are not increasingly occupied with the Word of God must become corrupt"- Martin Luther

This quote just gives me chills when I consider how long ago it was written.

I was watching the local news last night and a principal of an elementary school was on talking about how schools are not just institutes of learning anymore, they are social institutes also.   He also said they are pseudo parents for these children.  This man just gave me the chills.  I thank the Lord I can keep my children at home and out of the institutes!