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Jun. 30, 2008 - What e'er My God Ordains is Right

What e'er my God ordains is right: Holy his will abideth;
I will be still whate'er he doth, and follow where he guideth:
He is my God; though dark my road, He holds me that I shall not fall:
And paitiently I wait his day.

What e'er my God ordains is right: He never will deceive me;
He leads me by the proper path; I know he will not leave me:
I take content, what he hath sent; His hand can turn my fears away,
And patiently I wait his day.

What e'er my God ordains is right: Though now this cup in drinking,
May bitter seem to my faint heart, I take it all unshrinking:
My God is true; Each morn anew sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow shall depart.

What e'ere my God ordains is right: Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine, yet am I not forsaken;
My father's care is round me there; He holds me that I shall not fall:
And so to Him I leave it all.

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Jun. 27, 2008 - Whose flow is this anyway?

!!!HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! Had to get that in first

There are things we look forward to.  Springtime. A break from routine (and school).  The first peaches of the year.  Hydrangea blooms. 

There are things we expect.  The next day to come.  Kids to interrupt when we get on the phone. Our car to start when we jump in.

What do we do when few things happen that we expect and most things go in a completely unexpected direction?

Back in May I carefully crafted a beautiful calendar for June and July with all of the things that needed to be done fit in nicely.  I felt so assured that all would be done in a timely manner and I would coast into August ready for school before the baby in September.  You're laughing aren't you?  or maybe not.

I'm sure that the folks in Iowa and Missouri did not wake up one morning in June and say " You know , today seems like a great day to have the house flood and lose everything.  I'll put that on my to do list."   My unexpected's are no where near that magnitude, nor the other situations that I've witnessed over the last month.  But they have wreaked there own level of havoc on what I had planned.  God has a "heavenly shredder" - it has been doing overtime in our lives this month.  (I'm following this post with a song we sing out of the Trinity Hymnal)

Brief synopsis:  (I'm not going to apologize anymore for long-posts.  I'm an  ardent blogging basics rule breaker)

Haven't gotten curriculum ordered.  We just had a used currciculum sale within our support league and I sold some and bought some.  Saved $ - that's good  Still have enormous Rainbow order to put in along within a few others and I'm sweating getting everything back in time to get organized enough to start school when I think I need too.  But that is just the thing.  Maybe I don't need to when I think I do?

Had unexpected family visits, not unpleasant :), just not planned.  Then we went and helped them move.  I'm glad we got to see them and the Lord threw in a washer and dryer that we couldn't afford, but someone else could.  We didn't think we needed it yet, even though ours are aging.  But would you believe this Sat. the washer just flat died? (of course, our sheets were in there b/c I wanted to sleep on clean sheets after the hectic Sat. we had!)  After all the other things this month that have broken down, I just looked at my husband and said, well at least the dryer works. And praise the Lord He knew we needed a new washer and dryer before we did.  Now we just need to get a trailer hitch put on the only working car and drive up to AL to get it  :)  which will be Thursday - that's at least 2-3 loads p/day x 4 days, I'm sure we'll out be out of underwear by then but if I catch up on ironing at least we'll have outerwear

The cars - Our ancient but faithful mini-van, which we outgrew 2 years ago, has been in sick bay in the driveway since end of May.  We were deciding whether or not to fix it or get a 'new-to-us' car.  After driving the 12 passenger gas guzzler exclusively this past month - yup, cost us $102 dollars to fill it up yesterday, we have decided to fix old faithful and keep saving for a good second car.  (incidentally, we can be conditioned so easily - my son yells out - look! gas is only $3.91 over there!  That's cheap someone exclaims.  I shook my head as I pulled in and said to dh - do you hear what you're saying?  Have we lost all perspective?  $3.91 is NOT cheap for gas!!!  Amazing)

I came home Fri. evening and we discovered that our 22 month old can, with ease, climb in and out of his crib and that he can now climb up to the top bunk even though we took out the two bottom rungs.  OK, planned on moving him to the toddler bed in August.  Last night we began the time-honored tradtion of training  a child to stay in bed.  Some of our children were a breeze, a few were tough.  This kid - uugghh.  But, bright spot - we have an alarm system built in the room.  4yo brother yells at the top of his lungs everytime little guy climbs out - He's climbing out of his bed!!!!  So after the 10th trip into the room, our youngest got weary of the game and went to sleep.  Oh, we took the ladder totally off the bunk bed and just boost our 8yo son up when it's time for bed.

Lastly, a little word about summer activities.  I do not like them.  I want my children to get bored.  I thought I had scaled back enough, but apparently not b/c I still feel like a crazy person.  I want to be home, planning, organizing, cleaning and then just playing with my kids, reading a little - you know, relaxing?? So after a month I'm ready to nix art classes, which we usually do during the summer, we haven't gone to any park days yet, and no one is allowed to have any more birthday parties or baby showers. except tomorrow is 8yo son's b'day. 

We got one of those big above ground "bag pools" ,I call them, and the kids are enjoying that.  I like it too, but going up the ladder is um, well unflattering at this point.  Yes, I'm large.  I've got 12 weeks 2 days to go and I'm already ready.  Oh yes, we do have a baby coming soon too. Now that I'm planning on, expecting, and looking forward to, but after all the lessons that God has been teaching us about going with His flow, not ours, I'm not going to assume that everything will go as it always has. 

The last day of June - I can hear the shredder revving up for July :)

~CIndy

( I started this post three days ago...)

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Jun. 7, 2008 - Plugging away

My dh just took the whole van load to flag football practice and then off to play for a few hours so that I can finishing hammering through curriculum.  So , coffee - check ,  stack of catalogs - check , stack of books, textbook and otherwise - check   TOTALLY quiet house - CHECK! 

I hope that I can concentrate with all this time to myself.  (If you can relate to Homeschool-induced ADD you should read The Imperfect Homeschoolers little piece on it - too funny.  http://www.cardamompublishers.com/living-with-homeschool-induced-add.htm    Sorry I can't put it neatly in, still working on my HTML skills :)

~Cindy

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Jun. 6, 2008 - "Wolid Wocks"

We're having an 'at home' vacation this week since my dh is off work.  So far we've been to the beach, dismantled the swing set area to put up a pool and the trampoline and had a day of berry picking, shopping and eating at a super-fun restaraunt.  Today we have a birthday party and who knows what else will come up, but we are all enjoying not being on regular schedule.

I think I mentioned in a previous post that I'm going through the small-but-wieghty book "Won't Let Go Unless You Bless Me" by WORLD Magazine columnist Andree Seu. She is a phenomenal writer and I highly recommend the book.  (It's a compilation of columns from several years) 

This morning I read the article entitled House of Unraveling. It really got me thinking.

One of my 4 yo sons favorite songs to sing, because he has the chorus memorized, is "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand" .  He has had a speech impediment since he started to talk that renders all s's, th's, sh's,  f's and any other unpronouncable letters as W. So the chorus sings thus:

                            On Cwist the wolid wock I 'tand; All other gwound is winking wand.

I love singing that song wth him!  Sadly he is learning the right pronunciation and we graduated to F sounds and now at last S's and Sh's are understandable :(

But this morning's read compared the writer's life to Shylock in Shakespear's Merchant of Venice.  He goes from wealth to woe in 24 hours.  He loses "his ducats and his daugther" . Everything goes down from there, ending quite unhappily. Love that Shakespeare.  What was he standing on?

I immediately thought about Job, Paul and the rich young ruler.  Two of them lost it all.  Paul probably multiple times. One wouldn't let go.      What were they standing on?

Mrs. Seu says, "God is in the business of bringing one's trust to light, of pulling rugs of our own making from under our feet."  

We don't like to think about losing anything.  'Stuff' most of us can get over.  Alot of of it can be replaced.  People - that's tougher.  I've watched family members over the last several years struggle with that loss. It becomes apparent very quickly where you are standing when the rug comes out and you come down.  A  mother, a grandmother, a 100 year old aunt, a pre-term baby, and very soon another grandmother. The responses to grief are varied - and telling. Some still have not recovered- probably never will.  Others have a Hope.

                    My Hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness;
                    I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly trust on Jesus' name.

                    When darkness veils his lovely face, I rest upon unchanging grace;
                    In every rough and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil.

                    His oath , his covenant, his blood support me in the whelming flood;
                    When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my Hope and Stay.

                    When I shall launch in world's unseen, O may I then be found in him;
                    Dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.

                    On Christ the solid Rock I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.

I see a homeschool parallel too.  Are my curriculum choices my Solid Rocks? Will I really ruin child A if I choose curriculum B? Will their character be marred if I don't study History chronologically this year?  Good thing my oldest won't have to decline any Latin nouns at Heaven's gates for entry; I don't think he'll remember alot of his Vocabulary from this year. ~you get the idea.

Am I on wolid wocks or winking wand today? 
I don't relish the thought of being 'proven' to find out, but I'm pretty sure I know where I stand.

~Cindy

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May. 29, 2008 - To change or not to change?

We survived our jaunt to central Florida, including the convention, and have come home to relax :)  The convention, as always, was helpful.  Each year though, I have different goal in going.  This year I really needed to look and read alot more than buy.  I'm not as settled as I have been in years past on our curriculum choices.

It's that difficult balance between using 'tried and true' programs that you feel comfortable with - but which may not be working as well as you hoped and trying something new or different and having to change your 'rhythym' so to speak.  In our cell group (part of our homeschool support group) we heard from different mom's this year who have been homeschooling for 5+ years and seeing how they do it.  One of the families' approaches has been to use the same curriculum for every child each year.  They have been homeschooling for over 18 years and simply continue to use what they started with and pass it down.  "If it was good enough for so-and-so it'll work for you".  I see pros and cons to that.  You as a teacher get so accustomed to teaching the material that it probably becomes second nature, which in turn, I think, allows some flexibility to veer from what's there occassionally. 

The biggest problem I see is that of making a shoe fit that just isn't the right size.  My two oldest couldn't be more different!  We have used alot of the same curriculum, but definately at a different pace.  But I'm seeing that some of it doesn't seem to be working  as well. 

Take English - We have used Rod and Staff English since our oldest was in 2nd grade.  He had no problems getting the concepts and has basically glided through 8th grade level.  My 2nd son however, has not glided. He has stumbled.  I have tried going over things again.  We have done the worksheets.  I have stopped altogether and camped on certain chapters.  It just isn't sinking in.  He's not learning challenged in any way, he  just seems to come at things differently.  So I tried using R&S text but teaching it more like Shurley, where we simply label the sentence using the question /answer flow.  It seemed to work. But I am not going to try and 're-form' the R&S  text each year!  So why don't I just switch to Shurley?  It's Totally Different!!  From all accounts I hear, it takes more teaching time, at least initially, and I'm always nervous about making changes in curriculum and teaching efforts during the years we have a new baby.  Sooo...  We have a new little guy coming in Sept.  - My son is in essence needing to repeat sixth grade concepts in English grammar - I don't really want to use the same material - I'm wary of a change this fall -  I suppose I'll just keep praying!

As a side note, I'm looking at Science as well.  Apologia is arguably the most used High School Science program for homeschoolers, for good reason I think.  But there are others out there.  Two I've run into recently that have a very different perspective are Real Science 4 Kids and The Rainbow Curriculum (Beginnings Publishing House).  Both have in common the idea that Physics is the basis of all science and that Chemistry builds on that and Biology builds on them both.  Thus, they order their courses differently.  My concern isn't with the material itself, so much as buidling a good learning foundation.  Dr. Durrell Robbins, author of The Rianbow Curriculum/Spectrum/ and Colors  gave a great demonstration of how he approaches teaching.  It really made sense and my son and I both liked what we saw.  But it's different!!  (I'm sounding a little nuerotic now - I don't fear change normally.  Most people who know me would say change is my middle name, but I get skittish with the kids education and how we spend our time)

Alright, I've been thinking 'outloud' long enough.  I'm headed up to the Homeschool Consignment Shop to look around some more.  If anyone has any wisdom to impart - please do so!

 

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May. 21, 2008 - IT'S A..........................

HE-FLAKE!!   For those of you counting that is 6 'he's'  and 1 'she' .  My lone princess is a bit upset, but she has been comforted knowing she will get to have a spectacular wedding because Daddy has no one else to give a way.  Of course, if Daddy has anything to do with it she'll be about 30...

I'm still due Sept. 24, measuring big, but that's typical.

I  had grand plans to post pictures from last week, but as it is, we are running out the door and heading down to Central Florida to visit family and attend the FPEA Homeschool Convention. 

I may get a chance to post a little while I'm relaxing :)

Take care,

Cindy

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May. 14, 2008 - Done?

I just realized that I fell into one of the biggest educational blunders in these past few weeks.  I became obsessed with "finishing the material" !!  I am one of those people who likes to finish all the lessons in a book.  It's the same 'endorphin rush' Andrew Pudewa talks about in his seminars  when you get to check things off your to do list.  It screams - You did it!  You finished something!  So an unfinished book or project is a major "downer" for me, personally.  I feel like I just didn't quite measure up.  OK, analyze me - I have issues there :)  (I am so much more like Toad than Frog - he too was anxious over his uncrossed off list)

That's why I am such a 'git-r-done' type person. I drive everyone around me to insanity when I get over-motivated to get things accomplished. My husband informed me tonight, after the seminars that he has been attending the last three days on Management strategies, etc., that I am too task oriented.  ouch.  I suppose it's just always been easier to deal with getting things done than with people-stuff.  Not that I'm not socially oriented, I just don't  balance the two very well.  When I talk, I talk.  When I work - I guess I just want to work.  That would explain my issues with having children help in the kitchen or at the grocery store.  All I see is the task to be done.  Not the relational issues attached.  Alright, I'm not making myself feel any better here.

But back to the education point.  The question that is buzzing around my head is Do I want my children to know a lot about a little or a little about alot?  Growing up I knew alot about a little.  I always envied people who seemed focused on one certain area.  I always felt like a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none type.  My dear friend Macy, told me several years ago about the "five fat files" strategy.  Think about the five things that you are best at or most interested in and hone in on them.  Clip articles, write notes, do whatever to become an"expert" at those five things.  I still struggle a little with that.  One, because I really am interested in so many different things.  To me, no factoid is too small to not know. Two, because all I seem to have time for in this stage of life are the daily basics!   I am truly in awe of those who manage home-businesses, or extensive hobbies, speaking or book writing - I spend my days trying to keep my toddler from brushing his hair with the toilet scrubber again- which he has done several times, gag.

Again, back to the education point.  I have heard for 10 years - It's ok NOT to finish the whole book.  I have loosened up a bit, but obviously not enough.  My 11yos today informed me that he had finished the rest of his Latin book, History book, Vocabulary book and Critical Thinking Book. Including the tests.  Huh??  OK, brownie points for showing more motivation than he has all year combined but.. We won't even go into how many lessons that was.  Suffice to say, as I start to grade the history tests and I'm looking at the information, I'm thinking How much of this does he actually know?  He spit it back out, but we haven't studied it.  There were no projects or discussions.  No outside good reading. 

Then it hit me.  Who is the teacher?  Who decides what we need to cover?  duh. So I'm pitching the last couple of tests, which are not a good indicator in this case of what he understands and we're going to watch the History of Warfare - WWI and WWII over the next week.  We're going to get out the articles and pictures on his great-grandpa who was shot down over Hungary during WWII and made it back ok. We'll read "How the Good Fight was Won" . Maybe map a battle or two. Then we'll call it quits while I pull things together for Aug. and I *promise* not to feel guilty that we didn't learn everything in the book. 

So, lesson learned?  We'll see. But I'm not feeling as stressed as I was two hours ago.

~Cindy

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May. 12, 2008 - Rollin' up my sleeves

The last few weeks have brought a very welcome change around here.  As much as slooww progress is difficult for me, I see now how truly getting organized takes time.  When we played musical bedrooms to make adjustments for the new addition in Sept., everything was pulled out of all closets and off shelves.  I sat looking at the mess thinking #1 - where did it all come from? and #2 what do I do with it?  We have storage issues, so I decided that it was time to seriously purge, de-clutter and then organize.  So with my Clutter Cutters book in hand I did just that.  It took me over THREE WEEKS!!! 

 

I thought I was reasonably organized.  I thought everything had a place - apparently I was very deceived.

 

So far I have accomplished the following:

**Cleaned out all household files - All warranties, product info., tax files and regular house files have been cleaned out, re-ordered, and appropriate files put in new durable boxes and put in a new closet. ( We had manuals for things we haven't owned in at least 10 years.  I found the first Dr. visit sheet from our son's pediatrician back in 1994.  The shredder at my husband's office was smoking.)

**Totally cleaned out toys.  If it was broken or unused, out it went.  Those for the baby are in the 'baby toy bin' in the attic to come out later. We put in a great closet organizer designed by hubby and I (he is sooo handy) and now the younger three boys closet is so perfect I walk in there just to look at the order of it all.  All the toys, seperated and in the right sized bins are in the closet , on shelves, and NOT in my Florida room/dining room - that is a glassed in porch or sunroom for those not from Fla.

**Went through all my currciulum, re-arranged the shelves, bought a new book shelf, found the 285 pencils that we have lost this year, and now have a nice box or two for the used curr. sale in June.

**Re-hung the pictures I had taken down in hopes of de-cluttering to sell the house.  It looks like for now we will hang on here and make it  work.  WIth all my cleaning out we may find we have more space than we thought.

**Cleaned out the shed which was busting with 'stuff'.  We sold alot, and chunked most of the other stuff. 

**Cleaned out the garage - big time.  My laundry area got a good cleaning and we have plans in the works to close in the back portion of the garage to make a laundry room/storage and pantry overflow area.  That in itself will be a HUGE help.  We seem to consume alot of everything around here and finding a place to store it all is difficult.  It's on top of the freezer, over the washer/dryer, in the hall closets, falling out of the current pantry.. you get the idea.

Still waiting to be attacked:

**The game closet and craft cabinet need cleaning out.  And re-stocking for next year.

**My dreaded "top-drawer".  I will post a picture because you will have to see it to believe it.

** Our DD and the baby's shared room.  When we find out next week, Lord willing, what sex the baby is, I will get started on fixing up their room.

Big summer projects beyond curriculum/lesson plans:

**Recipes - Too many loose ones!!  I am going for a consolidated 3-ring binder type set-up to corral all the floating recipes I have.

**Get caught up (at least one year!!) in each person's picture book - This may be very wishful thinking. 

 

It almost makes me feel lighter! :)   Twenty one weeks and counting...

 

~CIndy

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May. 7, 2008 - Thought for the Morning

I really appreciated the Homeschool Minute this morning.  Esp. the first comments.

  "Instead of focusing on your weaknesses as a mom, focus on His strength. He has a purpose and a plan for your family and He obviously thinks you're the World's Best Mom for your children! 

Without a doubt that is my number one cause of depression and frustration.  When my failures seem bigger than my God.  And it is so self-centered!  I try to explain that to my children quite often; putting yourself down, moping about a defeat - it's all about self.  Not because we don't love ourselves enough, but because we love ourselves too much.  We can't stand for "us" to fail.

2 Cor. 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." 

If I insist on being so strong, then when would anyone ever see Christ's strength?  There are multiple opportunities in a day for God's grace and strength to shine- if I would quit agonizing about how weak I am and see that's just where He wants me.

 

With a blog called "Walking In Grace Daily"  you'd think that I would stop living on yesterday's grace.  I need today's!

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Apr. 22, 2008 - The scoop

In case anyone noticed, I didn't post about "the big ultrasound"....because we didn't do it.  The long and short of it was that we didn't feel we needed a diagnostic ultrasound.  We wouldn't do anything any different whatever the ultrasound may or may not show, we have no reason to think there are any problems, and the more people we talked to, the more common we found it is to have a 'false' diagnosis.  We didn't want to carry that around for five months only find that nothing is wrong!  So we are opting for the standard 20-week-in-office-ultrasound to find out if we have a 'he-flake' or a 'she-flake'.   Can't wait!

 

Other than that, I am feeling like my kids - ketchup on everything!  I am trying to 'ketchup' on my e-mails, blogs, correspondence, ironing (ggrrr) , grading, curriculum hunting, house organization; do I need to go on?  We played musical bedrooms so now everyone is in a new room.  Only dd is waiting for some new paint, until she finds out if she is getting a sister or not.  She told Dad that she wanted an all girly room if it's a girl (she is sharing a room with new baby) but right now she has a..."dad, is there a word for boyly room?"  (she is in the boys old room)  lol 

 

Then we had the dreaded yard sale.  I just don't enjoy them alot, but we got rid of some stuff so that's good.  Now I'm trying to finish de-cluttering, yeah right, and then I need to re-organize what's left.  Nothing like dumping the contents of your house out into the hallway and putting it all back.  I am working on getting things easily maintainable, so they stay relatively sane.  I looove Organizing Junkie  www.orgjunkie.com  I'm a wannbe I know, but she has some practical things there that have really helped out.  My biggest issue I see has always been maintainance - keeping it the way I put it.  Since that was my #1 resolution/goal for this year I think this is a great time to start trying.  And what better way than to try and comfortably fit a homeschool family of nine people into a modest sized home and keep it clutter free, junk free, stress free!!  OK, I'm dreaming, but it is motivating isn't it?

 

This week ends the crazy busy season.  May has some fun stuff, but it's not insane.  This week 14yos has piano guild audition, then PE awards and party, then we (our local Homeschool League WFHESL, with me coordinating) are hosting a picnic nearby, where we are welcoming Paul and Gena Suarez of TOS and Pat and Linda Marcum of Homeschool Headquarters.  It should be a fun day, and Lord willing the weather will stay beautiful.  We signed the three oldest boys up for a flag footbal league this summer and evaluation night for that is next week, so lots to do. But I am enjoying it.  And I am ready for a break from school - probably more than my kids  :) 

 

I was going to throw in a book review, but my ironing pile is mocking me loudly.  Pass the ketchup  :)

 

~Cindy

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