iMindMap Version 3, with a host of new features, is available!

iMindMap is the world's only "official" mind mapping application, and it's just been made even BETTER!

Version 3 was released this week, but until Monday, September 8th, you can purchase the Ultimate Version (the top of 3 editions) at the Version 2 price of $115. That's a savings of $180!

Not sure if it's what you need yet? You have a 7 day FREE trial period to check it out. But be sure to purchase by Sept. 8th to get the discount pricing.

Not sure of what I'm talking about, and why you should get this? Learning Maps™ are a key component of Lifestyle Education through Discipleship™. They are a type of mind mapping. They certainly don't have to be made on a computer, but I find a computer mind mapping program to be helpful - when it works the way mind mapping works, that is, the way the mind works,  in helping us learn. Read this article on our website to learn more about Learning Maps™ and mind mapping software.

Then use our links to give iMindMap a try - and remember to purchase before Sept. 8th to get this HUGE discount!

Back to School Special!

Start the year off right by renewing your mind and getting a vision for your home education - for Life!

Freedom & Simplicity™ of Lifestyle Education through Discipleship ~ The Seminar

$25 each or $45 for both
August 10-30th

This Seminar will teach you a biblical approach to home education, putting the Bible and Biblical principles at the center of all your teaching and learning. See more details and order here.

A Me and My House Exclusive resource

Just wanted to let you know Cindy Rushton is hosting a online seminar this Weekend--July 11-12. In fact - EEEKKK - it is starting RIGHT NOW!

Let's Get Organized for the New School Year Virtual Seminar!

Sign up today to join us live (just register with your name/email for us to send you the passwords and schedule updates) or grab a ticket for access to our

Membership Site AND free ebooks/audios!

Sign up here: http://www.CindyRushton.com/LGO2008.html

I won't take anymore time to much elaborate more, since it's already starting. Just go to the link above to get the info.

But I will say - IT IS NOT TOO LATE! Listen live as you can - and buy a member ticket to listen and download all the goodies offered at your convenience - even long after the "live" part is over.

Today at My House.

DD16 calls from friend's house, half-way across the country: "Mom, you want to hear really bad news? --- I forgot my math book at home." "You want to hear even worse news? --- [Friend's] family has that book!"

Continuing the conversation. "[Friend] wants to know if she takes me to [historical location] if that will count as my history for the week?" Me: "By all means GO! You can read the books anytime!"

DS6: "Mom, can I listen to a Bible CD for my devotions?" "Yes." He brings me Your Story Hour Vol. 2. "What's in this one?" Me: "It starts with Moses and ends with David." "Where's Daniel?" Me: "Try Vol. 3" DS brings me Bible Skip Count tape. "Can I listen to this? It's Bible. It has Daniel on it."

DS 3, listening to classical CD. "Mom, can I listen to this for devotions? It's Bible."

As we joined together for Yom Hadar and our first candle wouldn't light, ds14 said, "That's OK there's no outside light today anyhow." Very cloudy, windy and rainy here for the last several days.

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Day 7 Home Education Week!

What are your goals for home education? What do you hope to instill in your children? Are you planning any changes to how you educate your children?

Well, right now I'm looking forward to finishing blogging. My blog-a-thon is nearly over - 1 week in one afternoon and evening. Well, I guess I'll leave the "real time" on this post. :-) And this was actually a week that I already had several OTHER posts.

Now you're talking my language, and I can speak from the perspective of a philosophical mom. You saved the best question till last!

My goals are simple, that our children would love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength and glorify Him in whatever they do. (I know, broad and philosophical.)

I hope to instill in them the ability to look at all of life through the Wisdom of God's Word, therefore they must know, REALLY KNOW His Word and how it applies to all of life - their life.

In order to live that out they must be submitted to God's Word, walking in "self-government" with Christian character.

I am not planning any foreseeable changes. We have found a good path, and we are walking therein. I am doing the best I know how at this point. However, since everyday is growth and change, we will continue to do that. Growing and changing day by day, to be conformed more into the image of God's own dear Son. That will mean that the best of plans will be "tweaked" along the way.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Cross-posted from my L.E.D. blog - since it was more about our family life than my teaching to parents on home education.

Day 6 Home Education Week!

Share your children’s home education experience in their own words. What have they said about their education? What are their likes and dislikes? Share some stories, some quotes, or turn your blog over to your children for the day.

Whoo-hoo we're on the home stretch!! This has been a true blog-a-thon!

Dd16 - thinks "it's hard" - she isn't in here to ask a direct quote. She's sure she has more to do than anyone ever had. (No doubt because I've been so easy on her in the past :-) She loves to read and to learn - but just not always what is "necessary." "Math? Why should I have to do that?"

Ds 14 is gaining FLUENCY in reading, whoo-hoo, (yes, it's been a slow road for him) and he loves to read, but doesn't like reading long things or for long stretches, (and still LOVES being read to more). He told the eye dr. that he only reads what he has to for school. (Which is somewhat true --) But he always says, "I'll read the Scripture for today." or "Can I read that?" Or last week when his sisters were gone and I had an online workshop to do said, "Mom, you just go do what you need to work on and I'll read the lessons to the other boys."

Ds 10 just told me the best thing about home education was we get done earlier. (Oh, is that so?)

Dd8 loves learning. If asked what she likes about home ed, she says, "Reading!" and "spelling". But wishes she could do less math and more projects, art and music. She's usually cutting, coloring, drawing something as we read. She's read FAR more books than ds 14, and will no doubt catch up with ds10 - who, as of the beginning of last summer, had read over 70 books for the year. I don't know what his count is this year, but his books choices are getting quite long, so I'm guessing it will drop off quite a bit. She also says we could do it a lot faster if the boys weren't always messing around.

Ds3 told me a couple weeks ago, "[ds5] doesn't know how to read yet." Guess he felt it was high time he learned.

Ds5 and 3 believe that lesson time is their time to go fire up the printer and start printing coloring pages for themselves. (Ds5 knows how. Ds3 THINKS he does.) They've been kind of stuck in the Alamo, coloring page after page after page - the same ones over and over. They love Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie. But I guess before that it was Daniel Boone, over and over. I reminded them that we were studying a different war now, (I guess they were oblivious to the time between the wars) and there are plenty of pages on the civil war they could color about some of the men they are enjoying hearing about from that too. Did they pick Stonewall (5yo's fave)? No. Did they pick Lee or Stuart or Lincoln or any others we've read about? No. They asked to color the ladies in the pretty dresses, ("the big sister and the little sister." - a Southern Belles color book.)

OK, older children are in now, so I have some quotes.

Ds14 likes best about learning at home - "you don't get any F's." He said that's what he tells his friends when they ask. He likes math. He wishes we'd do more reading - like stories and such. i.e. like Lamplighters. He wishes we'd do less books. OK, we don't do textbooks, or workbooks, or anything but real books such as the above, so what is he saying? More reading - less reading, which is it? "Less books like Spurgeon." None of the children were too thrilled with the bio we picked. We quit about half way through.

Dd16 likes best that they have more options in what they do. She's not sure what she'd want more or less of. "Just perfect as it is?", I ask, knowing her better than that. "Well, I'm sure there's something." And finally said, "less messing around by the boys so we could get done sooner."

Ds3 says he like playing quietly best. Yeah right!!!

Ds5 says he likes playing best - when mom says they can go play while we work on a lesson that needs a bit of quiet!

Ds10 says he likes that he "can't get in trouble that much." Where did this kid get these ideas? He likes math best and wishes we'd do more of it. He wishes we'd do less reading. What? he loves reading. Oh, less reading together. The thing his brother wishes we'd do more of. Guess that means it's my call, and it must be close to right if one wants more and another wants less. Right?

Well, I think I've heard from everybody. On to day 7!

Cross-posted from my L.E.D. blog.

Day 5 Home Education Week!

Show off those talents. Share a story, a special moment, a piece of artwork. Any accomplishment, great or small, is fair game.

Are these getting harder every day or what? Or do I just not photograph anything? That could be it.

Let's see, a story? Special moment? Piece of artwork? naw

Just some incidents from today.

3yo just came in and asked, "Can I be rude to [16yo sister]?" This was after he and 5yo just were brought in for spitting on the trampoline. After they were rebuked and cleaned it up and he was going back out again, this was his question. Does that count as a story?

How about 5yo saying that when they do Twinkle, Twinkle for performing arts night, he wants to be the tomato. I say, "What?" His sister says, "It isn't a tomato, it's a squash." I say, "What?" Sister says, "From Sumo of the Opera." At this point I notice that ds has his red soccer sock pulled up between his legs. "NO! We will do Twinkle in our church clothes."

8yo just agreed to her story from this afternoon being shared. I didn't think she would, especially if I get the picture uploaded. (But who knows if I'll get that far.) OK, it's certainly not an accomplishment, nor anything to brag about. Not even particularly home ed related, but it's where we are today.

See, the only reason I'm getting all these posts done is because she fell off her bike this afternoon, and I am sitting on the couch holding her.

She skinned the typical knee, and also her wrist and elbow. But when dad carried her in the blood was coming from her face. Not from her mouth - whew! - no teeth loose. But her whole face is skinned, and her eye is swollen and quickly turning colors.

After cleaning her up, applying Lavender to the wounds, and a cold cloth to the eye, the crying and holding lasted about 2 hours. Then she felt OK enough that she quit crying for "probably a half hour" so she could go to 5yo's soccer game, but not for an hour to go to 10 yo's.

We got ice to the eye as soon as she'd let me. And she was able to get through the game without crying, but didn't last long when we stopped to visit grandpa on the way home.

We came back to the couch, and she did sleep for a while.

She's agreed to try to make it to church tomorrow, if I'd agree that we can come home after worship, before the sermon, if she isn't up to it. (Remember I'm posting these retrospectively - though this says Thur. it's really Sat. - so you're reading this before it really happens. :-)

Well, I'm not going to take time to upload pic now - maybe later. It will soon be bath time and dh's at work, so I get to give them all. Well, not ALL, the older children can do their own. :-) But you know how it is.

Cross-posted from my L.E.D. blog.

Day 4 Home Education Week!

It is also National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day! So share a recipe… figuratively, as in two parts love, one part creativity, or literally, as in a super quick, nutritious meal your kids scarf up. Think about what you do in the day, what helps keep it organized and you sane (or how you got past that need for organization and saneness!), and curriculum materials you find effective.

Oh, so now's my chance to wax eloquent, well that's relative in my case. Especially since I'm "on the fly".

But here's our:

Recipe for Biblical Home Education

Take one mom who loves God with all her heart, soul, mind and strength and treasures His Word daily in her heart.

Add 10 beautiful blessings, that she gave life to, but THEY are the ones that give life to her heart and soul - and keep her exercise level up.

Saturate all in God's Word.

Season with great Living Literature.

Sprinkle with meaningful, fun projects.

Layer with adequate Journals.

Pour TREMENDOUS amounts of Grace and Love over all - DAILY!

Serve - to the Glory of God - trusting in His Providence and Grace to give desired results.

Well - best I could do on short notice :-)

Cross-posted from my L.E.D. blog.

Day 3 Home School Week!

What kind of Nebraskan would I be to not participate?

And we have likely all felt the fool in one way or another. Share your greatest challenge. Or one of those terrible, horrible no good, very bad days where the only thing there is to do seems to involve moving to Australia.

I don't have "a day" to share, but I can guarantee that I've had bad days, even within the last week. Day's when I've cried, days when we all pray, "God, please, we need you to guide us every step of the way today," days when we've just STOPPED everything - and took a "break" for the rest of the day.

These days usually have nothing to do with the lessons themselves, but just our lives as human sinners living together in a fallen world, trying to make our way, trying to make a difference in our children's lives, for God's glory. Working on relationships and character is far more important than working on "school" lessons.

Cross-posted from my L.E.D. blog.

Day 2 of Home Education Week posts.

Describe yourself, your family or one of your children. What is it like to be home educated in your family? What is “normal” for you?

Normal for us has over time since those 4 little girls. Our days USED to be filled with everyone getting up and ready, then sitting at the table to work through our table time lessons - finishing these fairly quickly, (even the little ones quietly coloring or something,) then everyone completing their chores, then everyone reading or working on other projects and play time.

"Normal" now, with 4 boys in the home (+ the 2 younger girls, 16 and 8) is getting up and messing around, jumping around at the table during table time lessons, being disrupted by the 2 little boys during the table time lessons so we're never done "quickly", wrestling around during chore time, and goofing around when they're suppose to be reading, rarely getting through soon enough to have enough play time. And FAR more bathroom breaks. Who ever said GIRLS are the bad ones for this?

Play time is still important though, so .... what's a mom to do? Obviously, a lot more training is needed around here. The 2 girls recently went to their older sister's for a week. I sent their lessons with them. They were done before 9:30 every morning, except for their independent reading, that they did at their leisure throughout the day.

Obviously, with our boys we've had to make adjustments in "normal". The older girls preferred to work at the table, one lesson to the next, until we were DONE. Then their time was free. We'd even work ahead to give us "free days". They LOVED things this way. With the boys, things don't go that way. Much of their "play" time is taken DURING lesson time.

With boys we have learned:

1. more about SHORT lessons, no waxing eloquent, just make the point and move on.
2. to take short ACTIVE breaks between each SHORT lesson. They run outside around the house x number of times, jump 5 minutes on the tramp, ride their bike around the block a couple of times, or some other ACTIVITY. If it's too horribly nasty to go out (it's got to be REALLY bad to not go out, but there are plenty of times it's bad enough they can't get on the tramp or the bikes) anyhow, if they have to stay in, they run the stairs a few times. Then return for the next table time lesson/project or family reading. The key is RUNNING. If I just send them out to empty the trash or something, the goofing off, messing around, etc. kicks in and they don't come back for 15 min.
3. to vary lesson types that are back to back. A reading, a writing, a listening, a hands-on project all scrambled up. NEVER try to do 2 of the same type back to back. It will backfire.

I can't imagine my boys in a traditional "school"-type setting. They'd no doubt be labeled and pushing for medication. I don't know that I've totally figured out the perfect balance in our home though. A mom has to continually be using discernment for what is foolishness and disobedience, and what is just the way God made little boys. I'm still learning how to train boys. Girls are much easier.

So 14 years of Normal, has been exchanged for 7 years of "NORMAL?" I have a feeling "NORMAL?" has at least another 14 years to go, as our youngest boy is not quite 4 now.

Cross-posted from my L.E.D. blog.

I'm am joining Dana's Home Education Week - in retrospect. This has been a week with very little online time, and so I'll just take the time I have now, and backpost to follow the flow.

Dana asks:

Share your personal history … before you were a home educator. What was life like? Think about things you miss and things you and your family have gained.

I'm sure there was life before home education, but there is little to remember except that we had to get up early, and I missed them while they were gone. That was a LONG time ago. We've been home educating since 1987.

Our oldest 2 went from being in our home up to age 5, to the typical government education institution for a few years. During that time we had 2 more dc, who were home with me. We also became Christians at that time, and began researching home ed soon after. It was just coming into anyone's knowledge then. I read the 2 or 3 books available on it, and knew no one personally who was doing it. But, within 2 years of becoming Christians, we began home educating. It's one of the very best decisions we've EVER made.

BTW, although I'd only heard vaguely of home schooling and of some family 75 miles away doing it, when our first was about 1.5 and someone asked when I was going to wean her, I replied that if she wasn't weaned by kindergarten I'd have to home school her. -- She did wean, way before 5, and I did send her to ps, but brought her home a few years later.

I probably worked on more craft and sewing projects back then. Now I work on lesson plans. And I obviously read different things back then. I took a couple college classes I was interested in, got my interior design certification, personal color certification (for make up and wardrobe), and when God saved me, I began lifelong dedicated Bible study. I was already designing crafts and selling them, and teaching craft classes, and teaching nutrition classes.

But I wouldn't say I "miss" anything. I still work on those things as time allows, and I LOVE the studying I do now, for educating my own children - since it is just as extension of my Bible Study, and for teaching other parents how to home educate in Freedom & Simplicity™ through Lifestyle Education through Discipleship™.

I believed we have gained everything! I wouldn't send my dc out of the home that way again. During our home education years, we have gone from 4 children to 10. Those oldest 4 are now grown and in their own homes. So life has changed, because our family has changed, but for the last 21 years, home education has been the constant - a God guided life of family discipleship.

It’s 4 days ‘fore Christmas and here at our house,
everyone’s bustling, thank God there’s no mouse.

No stockings, but garland is hanging so bright,
And outdoors the house is all trimmed with the lights.
Nativities cover each table and shelf,
No santa clause here, not one tiny elf.

The presents are piled so high on the bed,
The children are cranky, they must all need fed.
Then tackle those dozens of presents to wrap,
Then rock with the baby to give him a nap.

Mail grandmother’s gift that must travel so far.
Make gifts for the neighbors, something in a jar.
Let’s sew up some ponchos and not take a rest,
Then lounge pants for boys, and chaps and a vest.

Let’s have our friends over and exchange our toys.
That will bring smiles to both girls and boys.
And caroling we’ll go after dinner together,
We couldn’t have asked for much better weather.

Now haircuts to get and pictures to take,
the one in our card looks like a mistake.

Clean up the house, here you take the broom.
Sister is coming, clean out the guest room.
Please wash the sheets. Then vacuum the floor.
Can you get the phone, while I get the door?

The program is over, the children did great.
They each had a part and none came in late.
Joseph, who’s otherwise usually called Jed.
Played with the star, and poked Jesus in bed.

We’ll all go to church, communion to take,
Oh that reminds me, the bread I must bake.
We’ll take a nativity to sister’s grave.
And come home for cookies that our dear friends gave.

We’ll all go to grandpa’s, that is most of us.
Have dinner and presents, and relax - we must.
Then wake in the morning and open gifts here,
Mark actually has Christmas off for this year!

Then over to in-laws, more holiday cheer,
Then back home to crash before the New Year.

‘Though busy we are, it’s all for one cause,
To spread our God’s love, not play santa clause.

We love each one dearly, want to show everyone,
That God came to earth in the form of His Son.
To pay for our sins and bring to us new birth,
To make us like Him. We must honor His worth.

That babe in a manger, is King over all,
Read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and then Paul.
He’s risen victorious, conquered death and the grave,
He made you and me, and is worthy of praise.

May all of your focus in this busy time,
Be upon the Lord Jesus, our God that’s Divine.
May all celebrations, so busy yet fun,
Bring glory to God, and bless God every one.

© Lisa Hodgen 2007 All Rights Reserved

For Me and My House ~ At Jesus' feet,
Lisa @ Me and My House ~ Discipleship for Life!
Order Christian & Home Ed Resources here

Just a reminder:

The Bounty of L.E.D. Thanksgiving SUPER Sale
ends this Thurday

NOW is the time to get ALL of the
Lifestyle Education through Discipleship Exclusives
from Me and My House

for another of Cindy Rushton's Virtual Seminars, this time on Homechooling Highschool.

High School! YES! It CAN Be Easy! will include a line-up of several homeschool speakers, and will be all day Fri. Nov. 9th and Sat. Nov. 10th, with a couple of preview sessions on Tues. afternoon (already past) and Thur. afternoon.

All sessions are Free to listen to live, but with a paid membership you can download the sessions after the seminar, as well as receive Free Gifts, Bonus audios and articles.

Se more details and sign up at Cindy's website.

For Me and My House ~ At Jesus' feet,
Lisa @ Me and My House ~ Discipleship for Life!
Order Christian & Home Ed Resources here

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