Teach a child how to learn and instill a love of learning, after a love for our Lord! 

If you give this to your children, their goals and dreams are at their fingertips.  Now give them the time to do it. 

Sit back and enjoy the fruits as you are proactively available.

You will now see what education really is...in case you ever doubted yourself, your child, or others.

What education is to you may not be what it is to your neighbor, and that's ok.

 

 Keep your eyes on the LORD.  Seek God's will above your own.

Don't you just LOVE this time of year?!  I do...and boy did fall weather come in with a bang!  No warning or easing us into it this year at all.  The mornings and evenings are cool with the middle of the day being just gorgeous and delightful.

I love this time of year for so many reasons.  Colors, smells, physical changes, watching the animals scurry to harvest their winter supply, that cozy feeling it gives you (atleast it does for me) to get everything prepared so you can settle in for the winter days, curling up infront of the fire with the kids and books, adding the changes to our Nature Journals, etc.  These are just the opposite of my other favorite season ~ Spring!

What's your favorite thing about Fall?

I haven't updated this list for a year now so if you find that on some of the photo sites they have removed their lapbook albums, please let me know.  Thanks!

Well, here I go again.  The Lord provided some wonderful ideas today while chatting with a dear friend.  I shared them with her after she brought up the subjects of:

Bulletin Boards (corkboard)

Chalkboard (shaped)

The chalkboards she is finding are not the size she wants (nor the price).

I told her to go to her home supply store and buy a sheet of plywood.  Pick up some posterboard and make some templates in the shape(s) they want their boards to be (and size).  Then, cut and trace those templates on the plywood.  Cut out.  While at the store, she also picked up a can on the Chalkboard Paint they now have.  After the templates are cut out, they can paint the board and tada, a personalized chalkboard!

For bulletin boards, she said they are just too expensive.  I agree.  The idea of what could be used came next, I was really excited about this one because my kids have wanted these also.

Again, while at the home supply store, visit the insulation isle.  Purchase the thickness that you want (I'd do the pink sheets, but any will do).  Have them cut to the size you want/need them to be.  Then, make slip covers (like a pillow case) out of fabric and velcro the end.  You can even change the fabric to seasonal and/or holiday slip covers!  Now that's a really personalized FUN bulletin board.

White erase boards?  All we did is went to our home supply store, in the panel section.  The bathroom board is the same stuff. We picked up a sheet for under $8 had it cut to size right there in the store and hung on the wall.  You could even draw out templates on this so the kids can have personalized shape dry erase lap boards if you want, it's SO much less expensive! And look just how many you can make for such a great price.

If you want it looking professional, buy trim and frame it.

Clear as mud!?

What are some of your fun ideas for useful things?

I don't want to rush through topics just to say we've covered them.  The kids will forget most, if not all, of the facts they learned about it in a week anyway,right? You are rushing so quickly it blends together in their heads.  What IS the point of that!? 

No, I'd rather take our time on things that are of importance to our child(ren).  Choosing an interest of theirs and allow them to sit back and absorb all they want and need to about a topic they want to learn more about until they get their fill of it.

Then give them time to process what they have learned so they can turn it into a product of their choice, even if that product is simply telling me about it (no, not me questioning them, me listening TO them).  I do not constantly require our children to produce a product just to show they have learned something.  Why would I?  No one makes ME do that to prove to them I know it, they'd rather me tell them all about it, right?

There is a time and place for written and illustrated product, and a time and place for simply listening to the joys of your children's hearts on topics they have learned about, and, a time for further questioning type discussions. 

Why is it that as adults, our passions and things we choose to learn about are considered hobbies, but a child's must be considered and/or classified as school? 

I ask you to ask yourself, what does SCHOOL mean to you?  To me, one must first think about what EDUCATION is.  It isn't school. 

Education is learning all you can about things you are interested in, things that make you curious, even if that means just browsing the basics of it.  Education is learning about something to further yourself, professionally and/or personally.  Education grows and stretches you.  It is NOT sitting down doing seatwork at a table for hours on end. 

Everything in LIFE is EDUCATION.  Education is life.  Everything can be placed into an appropriate subject category.  It's like saying 'so and so can't see past the end of his/her nose.'  When we box up education, we suck the life out of it.  You begin to see the glazed looks in the eyes of your family. 

We need to open our eyes, ears and minds to what education is, and how the Lord made us to learn and utilize our world and our resources to learn and gain from it.

I would like to share with you how this phrase came about too.  My dear friend, JoAnn, and I used to call our families Delight Directed.  When people would ask what this means, we would share that we pray and listen to what the Lord shows and tells us our family  need to and should learn.  He will show us particular things as a family, for our individual children and ourselves.

JoAnn got to thinking one day (most certainly talking outloud with the Lord :) ) and immediately shared with me, and coined the phrase "Lord Directed."  We are Lord Directed homeschoolers. We LIVE Lord Directed lives. 

We are not JUST delight directed, encouragaing and allowing the children to fully learn and immerse themselves in their delights and passions (thru informal and formal studies) - our families pray and listen to what the Lord is telling us to do and NOT to do.  In all areas of our lives.  He provides us with all of the right resources and tools to use for all of these things, precisely at the moment we need and can utilize them.

At following links, you can read more about a delight directed (LORD directed) way of living and learning.  Because it is just that.  You are not JUST Lord Directed HOMESCHOOLERS, your lives are Lord Directed PERIOD.  You and your family have chosen to follow the path the Lord has laid before your feet and are living it daily, moment by moment.

Drink in everything you can at these links, pray (yes, you can pray with your eyes open, pen and paper in hand) wait, and listen.  Sometimes you will wait longer than you'd like, lol.  Do so.  Pray and ask if He wants you to purchase any of these materials for your family, because they are not just for you.  Your entire family will be blessed by these wonderful women's testimonies, experiences, and ministries.

All use the 'Notebook Method' as we do, and I promise it is NOT difficult!!! (More on that soon with tons of links for you WITH visuals!)

http://lifestyleoflearning.org/ Marilyn and Jim Howshall

(read the articles, newsletters, summary of seasons and detailed info on all the books.  The next sublink from Barb Shelton has MANY of Marilyn's articles NOT on her site!!) **Unfortunately, this wonderful site is no longer available.  I will locate their information and post it soon!  See Barb's site below to read several articles by Marilyn.

http://www.homeschooloasis.com/ Barb Shelton( http://www.homeschooloasis.com/article_chart.htm soak it ALL in, the specific 'delight directed' article is close to the bottom)

http://ignitethefire.com/ Terri Camp

http://cindyrushton.com/ Cindy Rushton ( http://cindyrushton.com/articles.html )

http://heartofwisdom.com/  Robin Sampson( http://heartofwisdom.com/artman/publish/article_238.shtml )

I do have a few more delight directed links for you, and I will post them later.  Soak in all of these first :)  Print off their articles and make yourself a notebook so you can read at your leisure and come back to them often! 

God Bless You!

In response to a comment from  joyismystrength on a recent entry....

Just new on the block and thought I'd stop by to say, "Hello".
I love that you call your homeschooling "Lord-directed" for shouldn't our whole lives be lived that way. You've coined a new phrase for me that I'm going to use with my own family, if you don't mind?

You certainly may use the phrase "Lord Directed" for your family.  I am certain the Lord will be rejoicing along with the rest of us leading Lord Directed Lives.

Tonight is snuggle night.  Braeden has the cold back that just left a few days ago. Ok, so this is a new, different cold, but you get the drift.  Poor little guy. 

We are also the only ones home.  The rest of the family is out at the family 'farm' working in the shop, getting equipment ready for this summer's business season.

We are snuggling up on the couch, reading books while Toy Story plays quietly in the background.

Braeden has decided over the past month, that he has a favorite book.   I purchased it when he was just a babe, for the older kids.  The book is "The Carrot Seed".

I am thinking about scanning a few of the 'family' images, the boy and the carrot and having the older kids help me come up with and make a lapbook style game for him.  Even if it's simply fun matching with the letter for the words on it.  We'll see what they come up with.

His second favorite book (that I bought at the same time as this book) is "Goodnight Moon".  If he continues to love these books over the next year, we'll have to make a lapbook with him for each book.

Something else just came to me also.  I think I'll trace the pictures on each page and make it into a coloring book for him.

Well, he's getting antsy again so I'll get going and see what he needs besides his Mommy.

Isaiah 55:8-9

 ⁸ "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
       neither are your ways my ways,"
       declares the LORD.

 ⁹ "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
       so are my ways higher than your ways
       and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As they sat there quietly talking with the Lord, I came upstairs with Braeden and took care of a few things around the house.

I went down to them later and asked each of them if they felt the Lord speak to them or if they felt they needed to pray more and speak more to the Lord about this matter.

They each said He brought several things to their mind \o/

Starting with Ben, who is going to be 7 in February, he said he heard quite a few things right away.  Here is what he shared:

*To work on his Eagle lapbook and notebook (he has both that he works in on Eagles)
*Drawing
*Elephants (He is typing up a 2 page informational document for a friend of his along with drawing elephants as a birthday gift for her in April.  He started this last month in his free productive time )
*Addition and Subtraction Facts
*Puzzles
*Make more projects
*Learn to read more books
*Get better at things he is already doing and putting together
*Bears
*Knots
*Crocheting

(Both of our older boys love knots, Zack is currently studying Topolgy and teaching Ben along the way.  All of our children crochet, their goal is to make a blanket asap.)

Brooke was next.  She is 8.
*She feels the Lord wants to her read many more chapter books, working on her fluency and advance to more difficult chapter books.

And finally Zack, who will be 12 in March.
*Drawing
*Dectectives
*Multiplication Facts
*How to play a harmonica
*Get better at reading and read chapter books

I was very happy with what I heard   And felt even more peaceful than I had after the Lord spoke to me, hearing what had been said to each of them.

Many things fell right in line with my list.  And why wouldn't they?  Isn't it funny how each time this happens, we are still pleasantly surprised!  "...O ye of little faith" always comes to mind.  No matter how far along in our Christian walk we are, we will continue to grow in faith, trust and wisdom each day. Praise you Lord for your unconditional and eternal love!

We had a wonderful time yesterday discussing all of our lists.

This morning, they each made a list of the Bible verses they will be using for their Bible Notebooks and Scripture Memorization (for this and next week).  To my delight, Zack asked if he could copy his in both print AND cursive!

Well, there goes the phone, lol, my older sista!  Gotta run!

Wishing you all a blessed new year!

Today we'll be having a family meeting and discussing the things the Lord told me we should delight in this year.  I will also be having the kids share what they feel the Lord wants them to personally learn about.

We'll talk about what we'll be doing in productive time along with options for productive free time.

Being Lord Directed Homeschoolers, I keep a list and journal of the things the Lord shares with me to learn as a family and for individual children.  I also observe my children and listen to their conversations while listening to the Lord, taking mental notes.

We always 'take off' (although we are never off, a new adventure or 2 takes place) from Thanksgiving thru the New Year; we will be easing back into the active role of delights and studies this and next week. 

What I mean by 'active role' is for the family to be productive in our formal AND informal delights and studies. The 'active' part also meaning, mom being completely available in what they are doing during productive time.  

Being actively available if they need something, have a question, need to look something up on the internet or computer encyclopedia, etc. as they are delighting,learning and becoming wise and knowledgable in along their journey.  (Not doing my own thing, I have my 'own time' at night and on weekends for this.)

I am cheerful and peaceful with what the Lord brought to me.  I'll share what the children tell me the Lord shared with them also.

Puzzles.  I grew up on them.  My aunt always had a card table in the LR with a 1000+ pc. puzzle on it.  And luckily for me, we were always over there.  I've decided this must be one of the reasons I have great Spatial Awareness.

My kids also love puzzles.  Zack (who is now 11) was putting together 100 pc. puzzles when he was only 3.

Over the years, we've gone to and fro w/puzzles until recently. They've gone puzzle crazy Ben (age 6) has quite a nack for puzzles.  And he's also very good with them.

Today, I found out January 29th is National Puzzle Day.  WOW!  How fun is that!

Yesterday, we finished our Christmas shopping for daddy yesterday at Fleet Farm.  Talk about puzzles! I love their ToyLand.  It's the best for Games and Puzzles, so we stock up each Christmas w/ new ones.

Each of the kids along with myself, purchased a 500 pc. and 750 pc. puzzles for $1.49 each. 

Brooke, who is studying Lions (she has put together a Lion Notebook)  found a wonderful puzzle with 2 young lioness'.

Zack found a beautiful city (as he stated) which just happens to be Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Ben purchased an awesome, just beautiful cathedral Orvieto Duomo, Umbria, Italy.  Along with 'Wonders of the World' Machu Picchu, Peru.

I chose to get Temples of Ramses II, Egypt for when we study Egypt - again - we love Egypt

Fleet Farm also has 3 or 4 different '10 Deluxe Puzzles' sets that have 10 puzzles ranging from 500pc./750pc./1000pc. in the box.  Just beautiful puzzles.  On sale right now for $8.00

I shared this w/dh and he said I will need to pick them up for birthday presents! 

I am thinking though....I'll choose 1 to celebrate National Puzzle Day next month WOOHOO!

The kids are busying themselves on the floor putting together their puzzles (on 2 different boards).

I think I'll have to pick up atleast 2 of those puzzle mats and get another 5ft. table in the Creation Station for puzzles only.

These are not the only puzzles the kids enjoy. They also love Word Searches.  I grew up doing these all the time as well!  They are amazed at how fast I can do them, rofl. Actually, I was shocked that I still 'had it' rofl.  Some things are not forgotten apparently, just stored away  Just like riding a bike.  One never forgets!

Well, now that I am truly awake, we need to get baking!  We are making a few different batches of cookies, mini banana bread loaves and also some italian pasta salad for Christmas celebration at Grandma's tonight.

Enjoy your day!

My children.  Yes, they are mine.  Ok, so they are God's children and he's loaned them to me  

Do you ever think what wonderful children you have?  I mean, we all have our 'moments' but truly, we have wonderful children. 

And I thank God for giving me a sense of humor.  I love laughter!

The latest creativity:

I'll back up to yesterday for a second.  We were downstairs in the family room.  Brooke was on the computer with her friend, while Ben and I played Phase 10. Braeden was coming to and fro the Creation Station; and Zack was doing...something...in the Creation Station. 

What exactly was Zack doing?  I didn't know until I saw him run upstairs to get something.  He came down in full uniform.  Paper uniform.

He, was Santa.  He had made himself a paper beard w/hair.  He wrapped his limbs w/red paper.  He stated that he was making himself a Santa costume for Christmas at Grandma's this Thursday.  Now all he needed was black for the belt.

Oh how hilariously creative it was. 

During the paper route later, he stated that his beard was a bit itchy and he needed to put something under the 'mustache' part.  He decided that felt would work ok; Brooke thought batting may be better for him.

This morning, I lay on the couch downstairs.  I had my back facing them and enjoyed listening to their conversations and thoughts. 

Zack decided he doesn't like the full paper uniform and needs to make himself a material one.  Yep, he needs to sew himself a Santa costume.

They proceed to search the 3 boxes of fabric for red and black.  He finds a deep shade of pink...perhaps that will have to work -  Brooke digs deeper for him.  I believe, from what it looks like from here, she found some red.

Ben is now in need of making himself something as well.  He comes to ask for advice.  "Perhaps you could be Santa's elf.  Santa always has elves helping him," I say.  "You could even wear your green pants you have on and save time and fabric."  He isn't convinced.

OH !! Zack has just stood back after cutting out his pattern for his shirt (front and back).  "That means I now have to sew these shirts together,"  he says with crossed arms and serious face. 

Benjamin thinks he needs to add something and starts to help.  Help not wanted or needed apparently.  Zack firmly states, "I know what I am doing!"

Would you like to know how he made the pattern for his shirt?  We don't have a 'real' pattern.  He laid a long sleeved shirt of his on top of the fabric, traced it w/permanent marker and cut it out.

Too hilarious...  Ben and Zack are now tracing Zack's legs onto a piece of material.  Ben thinks Zack will need more, Zack isn't sure.   He needs Ben to cut the material right above his foot....but don't cut my foot off!