Exodus Family
• Oct. 10, 2008 - Do you have a struggling reader?
I have one. He isn't my first to struggle with reading. Each of my children has come to a point where they knew the letter sounds, but could not blend them together. Repeated practice didn't seem to help. It was only frustrating to them, and me. We'd feel as if we were banging our head against a brick wall, so we'd set aside the curriculum and relax for awhile. I'd just resume reading to them, and we'd try again later to work on their word blending skills.
With each child, it eventually "clicked". And when it did "click", they quickly excelled in reading. 9 yo C took a full year longer than her older sisters to reach that point. I had to try new approaches, and continue to remind myself that she would eventually learn to read. Now she can be found reading daily, and often begs me to take her back to the library for a new book.
7 yo J has also taken longer than the first two children. He has reached a point of being able to read the simple Bob books, but still lacks the confidence to apply those skills to more challenging words and books. He is easily discouraged, and I need to be more diligent in listening to him practice reading.
When I saw Tia's request on the Front Porch for several volunteers to review a children's book, I didn't know what the topic of the book was going to be. I thought it would be fun to review a new children's book, so I volunteered. It was truly a blessing to receive the text, and realize it was a book about struggling readers. I read it to myself, and then to 7 yo J.
If your children participated in the TOS Summer Reading Splash program, your children will recognize Splish, the frog who stars in this story.
And Then Mama Said ... It Takes Time To Learn To Read.
Author: Gena Suarez
Illustrated by: Kevin Collier
As a homeschool mother with a struggling reader, I am thankful for this book: And Then Mama Said ... It Takes Time To Learn To Read. Gena's story of Splish is encouraging both to the emerging reader, and the parents.
Splish's mom encourages him that it takes time to learn to read, and everyone learns at their own pace. This lesson is repeated throughout the book, and Splish's feelings about his inability to read will resonate with any child facing a similar struggle. The book will validate their feelings, and show them they aren't alone in their struggle. Splish's eventual success will give hope to beginning readers.
The story also includes gentle lessons for the parents about how to teach reading to a child who is struggling. These subtle reminders for the parents will help ease fears that their child will never learn to read, or that they are unable to teach their own child to read. The book will encourage the parents to persevere, be patient, and not compare their child with others.
And Then Mama Said ... It Takes Time To Learn To Read will be a blessing to every homeschool family, and to every beginning reader. It will especially encourage the child who has struggled longer than others, and is discouraged. Splish's story encouraged both myself, and my struggling reader. It will be on my list to purchase for future students.
Thank you, Gena, for addressing a common area of concern to homeschool families, and for doing it so well.
Look for Splish's story (in e-book and print format) in stores soon.
Trusting in Him,
April |
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• Oct. 9, 2008 - How to stay humble ...
Have a four year old. Yes, that will do it.
Tuesday we were preparing for homeschool group. I looked at my 4 year old and saw white undershirt (his favorite shirt lately) and knew it was stained, but figured oh well. Then I saw blue jeans and cowboy boots. Okay, that'll do, I thought. Arrive at homeschool group and take a closer look. Cowboy boots are wearing out in one toe ... oops! Blue jeans have a hole in the knee ... double oops! Tshirt is not only stained, but has several small pinholes in the front of it ... triple oops! Oh well, at that point there wasn't anything I could do about it. So, my ragmuffin and I attended homeschool group, and patronized the library before going home.
Wednesday, he was in a MOOD ... and not a good one. I knew before we left for church that he was not going to be obedient enough to go to his class. I'd need to keep him with me. What I didn't know was how miserable that hour sitting in the car was going to be. (I had intended to take him, 2 yo L, and baby G to an empty room ... but he fought against that.) Then we arrived home and more tantrums over bedtime snack arose. He's determined to learn the hard way that Mommy means what she says ... and to make us all miserable in the meantime.
Then, he was awake twice in the night, whining and fussing. Plus the 2 yo woke up once in the night. And Baby G decided to live up to his nickname twice ... Mister Grunt ... so I had to take him out to the living room to rock him to sleep where his grunts wouldn't wake up Steve or 2 yo L.
It wasn't a restful night, and I was not a pleasant Mommy with the whining 4 yo at 1:30 and 3:30. And I laid there thinking some not so nice thoughts about my dear hardworking husband who had gone to bed at 10 pm because he didn't feel well. He kept asking me to take his temperature to see if he had a fever, which he didn't. I'm sure I'm not the first wife to sit and think some of those thoughts in similar circumstances.
At least things look better by the light of the day, after some coffee and iced tea. But by evening, I'll be dragging, living on caffeine and chocolate.
This too shall pass, right?
And just to encourage me, and anyone else who has had a week like mine with a 4 yo, I'm posting some of my favorite encouraging quotes.
"The most important occupation on earth for a woman is to be a real mother to her children. It does not have much glory to it; there is a lot of grit & grime. But there is no greater place of ministry, position, or power than that of a mother." – Phil Whisenhunt
“Bricks and mortar make a house, but the laughter of children makes a home” – Irish Blessing
“The most important work you and I will ever do will be within the walls of our own homes.” – Harold B. Lee (1899-1973)
"Homegrown children take a lot of hard work -- and sometimes "it ain't pretty." Other times, it's breathtaking." ~~ Passionate Housewives Desperate For God, pg. 21
“Biblical motherhood means sacrifice, selfless love, and faithful dedication. It means we’re there with our families – body, mind, and spirit.” ~~ Passionate Housewives Desperate For God, pg. 21
“What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow.” ~~ Martin Luther
At least their hugs and kisses and sweet smiles this morning help me forget the frustration of the night before. I know God makes them cute for their own self-preservation. They're easy to forgive, and fatigued Mommy brains forget quickly, too.
Trusting in Him,
April |
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• Oct. 8, 2008 - School at home or in the van?
Posted By teena6
This week we are busy. We are out of the house more than usual. It is hard to get our school in. I use to make them take it in the van but I do not do that much anymore. Not sure why. Maybe I am more laid back~ we get what we can done.....
We had our local homeschool support group meeting yesterday and Dakota had the drug awareness class that students have to take to get their drivers license. He will finish up the class tonight. He is bummed cause he doesn't like missing Wednesday night services. He plays the drums for the youth praise band.
Tomorrow we are going to our State Fair. This is a big thing and wonderful exhibits. We bring a picnic lunch and sit under the trees. Beautiful quilts are on display and home made honey, jams and jellies.
Hopefully Friday & Saturday will be days at home. I enjoy having several days of not going anywhere. Next week we have a Mom's Night Out and the week after that we are going camping. We do this every year with several other homeschooling families.
How is your school going? |
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• Oct. 6, 2008 - Our Every day life.........
Posted By teena6
I love this time of year.... the mornings here are crisp. I have started walking again and eating right. I do the live-it program called "First Place." It is a lot like weight watchers but not. LOL ~ This is the only way I can lose weight. Other programs do not work. I started on Sep. 14th. I've lost almost 10 lbs. I feel lots better, my head is clearer and I am sleeping better. I still want to lose lots more....
We put out our fall stuff..... little scarecrows, pumpkins, yankee candles and all. I start thinking about baking and the holidays. I love pumpkin bread........ it makes my house smell wonderful.
We are plugging along in school. We are enjoying Heart of Dakota. I love how it is all laid out. Alyssa really is getting it. She is learning so much about history. Everything fits together.....
Michael & Amber came this weekend. Mandi, Amber & I had a girl's night out Saturday night. We went to a movie and out to eat. It was fun. Nice just the three of us. We laughed and talked ..... I would like to do this every month or so. Billy (my husband), Michael & Dakota stayed here and watched the younger ones. They played hide and seek in the dark with flash lights. Yesterday we all went to church together. Last night after church we went to Burger King and several friends were there for my birthday! It was fun.
Michael painting Alyssa's nails.......
A very good friend from church ..... mom of two..... has cancer. Our hearts are heavy. We are asking (and have been) God to heal her..... on earth. She is such a great lady. She is a labor/delivery nurse. So very special. I love her dearly.........
May we know what a gift this life is...... may we live each day to bring glory and honor to HIM.... may we be the wife and mother He has called us to be~
make a memory........
Wyatt climbing our tree....  |
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• Oct. 6, 2008 - The Simple Woman's Daybook ~ 7
 Click on this image to visit The Simple Woman blog, and find daybook entries by others.
For Today...
Outside my Window... gray skies, mist over the fields, rain falling on the trees.
I am thinking... that I hate allergies and their effect on my children's behavior.
I am thankful for... the new bench seat in our Suburban.
From the kitchen... chocolate, chocolate chip cookies my 11 yo and 13 yo are baking.
I am wearing... a long, full, khaki twill skirt with a light blue t-shirt that has 3/4 length sleeves, bare feet, hair pulled back with a purple floral scrunchy ... a white burp cloth, and a fussy almost 3 week old baby.
I am creating... our Christmas letter to family and friends.
I am going... to do laundry today.
I am reading... my Bible -- trying to resume daily reading.
I am hoping... to hear positive news re: my Father-in-law's health soon.
I am hearing... my children playing a Nancy Drew computer game, talking to each other, and getting along ... at the moment.
Around the house... dishes needing to be washed, some toys needing to be put away, laundry waiting to be washed, and a stack of curriculum waiting to find a home.
One of my favorite things... hugs from my husband, and my children.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... homeschool group, Wednesday evening church, continue with my Christmas plans, and take the children to the library. Start looking at school plans and decide whether to start next week, or the week after that.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... It's time to start working on our 2009 calendars for Christmas gifts. Instructions to make your own can be found HERE.
Trusting in Him,
April |
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• Oct. 6, 2008 - Making Room for One More
Every time we have another baby, people ask us where we're going to find room for the baby. Literally. Before we moved here, we had a 3 bedroom 1200 sq. foot home, and 6 kids. Now we have a 3 bedroom home that is almost 1800 sq. feet, plus an unfinished basement. The bedrooms are smaller than our previous home's bedrooms. Even though we have a larger home now, we've already been asked how we fit everyone into our home.
The answer is bunk beds, toy shelves, creative storage solutions. At the moment, the girls' room has two bunk beds. 2 yo L's bunk is empty, waiting for her to move from the toddler bed in our room to the girls' room. The boys' room has a twin bed, and a twin daybed with a trundle under it. Eventually, we'll have to start using the trundle for baby G, but at the moment it's only used when my sisters are all visiting at once.
We have toys in the bedrooms, and toys in the living room. But, we would get rid of toys and other excess stuff to make room for our children! I often tell people we don't have too small a home, and we don't have too many children ... we just have too much stuff.
Baby G has a bassinet in the living room for napping, and sleeps in our bed. Eventually, he'll move to the toddler bed that is beside our bed. Finding room for their clothes, and getting new dressers has usually been more of a problem than where the new baby will sleep. But some creative rearranging usually solves that problem, as well.
This pregnancy, the big issue was actually our vehicle. We had an 8 passenger Suburban, and were expecting our 9th family member. We tried finding a front bench to replace our two captain's seats. Steve called every salvage yard and used parts store we could find in central and eastern KS ... but kept coming up empty. Finally, just four days before Baby G was due to be induced, Steve located a bench seat for us at a salvage yard in a small town about two hours east of us!! We didn't get it picked up until Baby G was a week old, and we didn't get it installed until this weekend.
Sunday was our first time driving anywhere with the new bench seat. It works wonderfully, although Steve and I are still adjusting to having a teenager sitting between us. There go our semi-private quiet conversations as we drive. *giggle*
It was much less expensive than one of the fourth row benches, and safer. It was definitely less expensive than buying a larger vehicle, although we do hope to do that soon. It even matches our interior perfectly. I had told Steve I didn't care if it was purple or red or polka dotted ... to buy it and we'd put a cover on it. But it's exactly the same upholstery as the rest of the seats. Just an additional blessing.
So, we've officially made room for this baby, too. Praise the Lord! I had tried not to stress over the seat problem. I told myself repeatedly that if we had to drive 2 cars to church and not take any family vacations for awhile, we'd just have to trust that it was God's will for us for a time. I did reach a point of accepting that, and was very surprised and blessed when Steve finally found a seat, at the last minute.
I'm very thankful for God's provision, once again. And, as He often does, He provided in His time, at just the right moment ... not too soon, not too late, and not when I thought it needed to be accomplished. Just another lesson in trusting Him.
Trusting in Him,
April |
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• Sunday, October 5, 2008 - CBS and Fox Ruining My NFL Sundays
My son is football these days. He eats and sleeps and breathes football. He loves Sunday. The only problem he has with watching football remains what I have always hated about watching football: the junk the networks decide to advertise during the breaks.
Do I really want to see a man lying in a pool of his own blood, CBS? Hey Fox, is Stewie's obsession with Bryan's saliva really worthy to show to millions of young football fans? It's disgusting, you network half-wits! The NFL has Play 60 ads airing right next to this stuff because they know the kids are watching. I have a hard time believing that the networks don't know their own demographics.
I've harped on this issue before--and I don't want to turn this into a gripe blog, but these ads are killing my love for the NFL. Taste and restraint in selecting the ads needs to return not soon, but now. |
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• Oct. 4, 2008 - The Old Schoolhouse's Fall Promotion
I know I've shared before how I feel about The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. It's my favorite homeschool magazine. I've had subscriptions to two other homeschool magazines, and have received trial issues from even more. But The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is the only one I've renewed repeatedly. I enjoy reading each issue that arrives, as do my older children.
I look forward to the different themes for each issue, the free unit study included in each issue, as well as the view into the lives of other homeschool families. I am always encouraged by at least one article in the magazine. Many times it has arrived in my mailbox at just the right moment, when I needed encouragement or inspiration to continue homeschooling with joy and confidence. What a joy to sit down in my favorite chair with a drink, a treat, and The Old Schoolhouse's latest issue.
I also appreciate that The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is not limited to only one style, method, or denomination. It makes the effort to write about varied homeschooling methods and curriculum styles, homeschoolers of different denominations and in many areas of the world. It gives a very full and well-rounded view of homeschooling, and all its facets.
I wanted to tell you all about The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Fall Special. You can get two years of the magazine, 6 fabulous physical gifts (no downloads!) worth over $120, plus the current issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine that is full of ideas for the new school year, so you start receiving your magazine in a flash!
It really is one of their best deals ever and you don't want to miss out. In fact, they've got a really cute Homeschooling with Heart tote bag (valued at $13.95) for the first 1000 to subscribe. About half of them are gone, but you should still be able to get one if you hurry! (They will remove the info from the subscription page when the bags are all gone.) The total value is over $212, but you receive it all for only $39 - 50% off of cover price! Plus subscribers get their online monthly Teacher's Toolbox which focuses on a different topic each month, giving you words of encouragement, hands-on teaching ideas, book recommendations, field trip ideas, and a bonus download item.
I love this handbag, and can't wait until I receive my own, to use for library trips and homeschool group meetings. I'm sure it will be a conversation starter, that will let us share about homeschooling with others.
Hurry to get your subscription and your free gifts (including this great tote bag) today!
Trusting in Him,
April |
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• Oct. 3, 2008 - Thousand Gifts ....
Posted By teena6
I started my list about two years ago. My children were bickering and fussing a while back (and still do!) so I told them I wanted them to start a gratitude list. Thousand Gifts we are thankful for. It is amazing to read some of the things they write. Even looking back at mine..... a lot has happened in two years.... it really makes you see into the person.
94. apple cake
95. traditions at christmas
96. taking my children in Books a Million
97. smell of popcorn
98. movie: “Facing the Giants”
99. MY future daughter in love~ AMBER
100. seeing old friends
101. HIS faithful love
102. baking christmas goodies
103. snuggling under the covers... so warm
104. when the Holy Spirit uses me
105. His peace
106. my haven friends~
107. being able to sit and read the word
108. flowers blooming
109. laughing at old movies~
110. our green grass after several years
of dirt
111. the smell of a newborn
112. an empty church
113. the trail to the pond
114. hearing our house nay when coming back
from my walk in the mornings
115. listening to my children read to me
116. when each child starts asking about Jesus
117. our special lunches in the woods
118. Tammy~
119. time at the park
120. memories... so many memories~
121. coming home after being away
122. feeling HIS presence....
123. the quietness in the early morning
124. more and more I notice the colors around me
125. Wyatt's kisses.... and love
126. being together Thanksgiving...
127. Michael caring and talking with me~
128. the love our friend Rick has for our family
129. the rainbow we saw on the way home...
130. messy smiles
131. when my infants give me WET kisses!
132. my children playing in the fallen leaves
133. sand castles
134. when my boys hold my hand
135. “hold me mama” it will soon be gone...
136. His salvation
137. sending His only son... to be born in a manger
138. that I am His
139. that I get to wake up tomorrow... and teach my children!
140. quoting scripture with my children
141. listening to them talk about Jesus
142. the smell of rain
143. simple things...
So very much to thank Jesus for............
Again, if you get the chance ..... go see the movie "Fireproof" excellent movie.
blessings,
Teena~
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• Sep. 30, 2008 - Are you wondering what companies the Homeshool Crew will be reviewing?
If you're wondering what companies will be providing products for the Homeschool Crew to review, you can find a list of vendors in the right sidebar at the Homeschool Crew blog, under "Vendors on Deck". We'll also be adding a list of blogs that will be doing the reviews (to the Homeschool Crew blog, and also my own sidebar), so you can read more than one review on a particular product.
So, watch the Homeschool Crew blog for details of what reviews are coming up!
Trusting in Him,
April |
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