My dd Morgan has begun to teach my boys 10 & 9 spelling everyday after lunch. She asked me if there was any part of their school work that she could do for me so I gave her their spelling as it always somehow slips through the cracks and doesn't get done as much as it should. I have been fortunate though that my children so far have been really good spellers. She had a great idea. She took out a jar of pennies and gave each boy two pennies. She told them that they would each get two pennies each day and if they listened and were good they would get to keep them but if they disobeyed then she would take a penny away. She then explained to them that they could save these pennies and get some candy with it or whatever and how it would add up. They were really good too!! She is so creative!!!!!

 I am using Christian Light with my 7 year old dd and I love it and so does she. She looks forward to doing it with me each day.

We are finally getting to the end of our frontiersmen theme in KONOS with the 3 oldest children. I am about ready to move on too! :)

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Today we put another entry in our science/nature notebooks. The children taped a crabapple blossom on their page and described what the crabapple tree loos like and how we can make jelly from the apples which we did last fall and plan to do again this fall.

They have also finished up copywork, math, reading and health. We still need to do some work in our KONOS. We are still studying frontiersmen and guides. We still are reading the book, Streams to teh River and Rivers to the Sea by Scott O'Dell. It is a great book!

 We are also reading together every night before bed, Star of Light by Patricia St. John. It is a wonderful book. Very interesting.

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4 jobs I have had in my  life: 

Denny's

Dominos

Peaches

Target

4 movies I would watch over and over: 

For richer or poorer

sommersby

sound of music

chitty chitty bang bang

4 places I have lived:  

new bedford, MA

Seekonk, MA

Mansfield, MA

Wyoming 

4 TV shows I love to watch: 

Don't watch tv] only DVDs and Videos

4 People you wished lived closer:  

Aubrey

Dawn

other MOMYS

other quiverfull families

4 places I have been on  vacation:

SD

MN

MT

MA

4 websites I visit daily: 

MOMYS

ChristianUC

CMOMB

http://www.ignitethefire.com/oldfashioned.html

4 of my favorite foods: 

pizza

chocolate

italian

dh cooking

4 places I would rather be right now:

on vacation

4 books I could read over and over:

Bible

Miriam's Journal

Educating the Whole Hearted Child

Nature Study the Easy Way

4 random things about me... 

I have had 6 homebirths, 3of those were UC's

I am a LLL leader

I hope to become a midwife someday

I love to rearrange my furniture alot!

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Yesterday we started our frontiersmen study. We are still doing the attentiveness unit. We talked about Daniel Boone. We read about him in the encyclopedia and talked about what a frontiersmen was. Then we went on to talk about different animals and which ones are  prey and which ones are predator. We also talked about different animals and what each one does to protect itself from a predator. Also we mentioned how frontiersmen could track animal tracks along with human tracks and tell the diffference.

 We started the book Streams to the River and Rivers to the Sea by Scott O'Dell. It's really a good book! The children really like it and asked me to keep reading. We read 3 chapters yesterday.   

 Of course they did their copywork. We are copying scripture in Matthew and Isaiah. My boys are doing division in math and my oldest is in book 2 of the Key To Algebra. I just ordered book 3 which I got yesterday. She should be starting that in a few days.   

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Is anyone going to the CO homeschooling convention?? I am going with a friend of mine and thought it would be fun to meet other homeschooling moms while we're there. If anyone is going just send me an email and we could plan a time and place to meet. :)

Here is a great site that has bible studies for children on it. (and for mamas)

http://www.bravewc.com/haven/character/index.html

We are doing an eye and senses unit now. Yesterday I had the children draw and label the eye. They did a good job! I am going to let my tow oldest boys take apart a camera this week and label it's parts seeing how it is similar to the eye in how it works. Should be fun for them! I need to start having my children do grammar again. We also need to finish getting the composers on the timeline. We also get to learn about Louis Braille.

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This week we are on our last week of 4 in our KONOS study. We have been doing sound/music/ears. We are reading about different compsers and their spiritual lives. Yesterday we read about Bach and today we put him on our timeline. It was really neat learning more about him and reading how much he loved our L-rd!  Also my boys are readin a book called Good For Me! It is a health book but not a textbook persay. More like a funny way for children to learn about good nutrition and their bodies. Today my 10 year old Josiah was reading to me about the man who invented soda. It was very interesting actually. Then he read to me how bad soda is and after he was finished he promised to never drink it again~EVER!! We don't allow our children to drink anything but sprite once in awhile if we go out to supper but he has sworn off even that.

 And I have been having them copy the bible verse given for each weeks study every day in their copy notebooks. By the end of the week my sweet treasures know the scripture and what it means!! Its a great way to help them memorize it!

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A word to the wise, or even the unwise, is infuriating because it is insulting. When we teach without being asked, we are saying, in effect, 'You're not smart enough to know that you should know this, and not smart enough to learn it. - Holt

I love libraries! I love books!! I love that I can get online here at home and put books on hold or get interlibrary loans from other libraries in the state! It makes my life so much easier as a homeschooling mother. And it's great that I can find pretty much every book I need. We have a wonderful library here and what I can't find here I can usually find in my WY somewhere. Thank G-d for libraries. We can even find reasons to praise Him and thank Him in the little things!

These are the beauties I homeschool!!!!!

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I am beginning to suspect all elaborate and special systems of education. They seem to me to be built upon the supposition that every child is a kind of idiot who must taught to think. - Anne Sullivan (Helen Keller's teacher)

 We are really enjoying the KONOS! It has taken so much pressure off of me and I have been able to just enjoy homeschooling my children. I have been feeling a lot of pressure and burdens lately regarding homeschool. I want to do a good job and educate my children. I don't want them to just know textbooks but to truly learn from life. I most importantly weant them to know who Chrsit is and to live their lives for them. I have been overwhelmed by the responsibiblty it is for me as their mother. These little people learn so much from me and I so often fall short of what I want to be as their mother. So I have been praying that the L-rd would take from me tha image I have of what a "good" mother is and replace it with what His image is of what I am supposed to be. Isn't true that only His opinion is the important one??   

 I hold myself to such a high standard where there are no place for mistakes. I expect perfection and I know that perfection is only found in our L-rd Yeshua! I want to release myself to make mistakes; keeping the big picture in sight. This won't happen overnight. It will be a process much the same as being a believer. You grow each day, month and year in your journey towards our heavenly reward. And so it's the same with my journey as homeschooling mother. I learn and grow each day, month and year until my children are grown. 

 The L-rd does give us little gems along the way though. You know what they are. Those times when our children can finally read or when they finally understand Algebra or when the light and love of learning shines in their eyes.  When they write a story that brings tears to your eyes! These gems keep us going and remind us of why we do what we do. These are precious! 

******Thank You L-rd Yeshua for the gift of my children. I love them and want only the best for them. But I need to let myself make mistakes and be imperfect. I need to rely on you more as I go through this homeschooling journey. Renew my image of what a truly "good" mother is. May I shine as You do! Amen (so be it)    

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I made up a new schedule. I really like it and I think it is going to work well at helping me feel more in control of what goes on with homeschooling and through out our day. I have been able to to use doing the KONOS also. My schedule is of course different than what is suggested but it works for my family. And that is the biggest part of homeschooling; finding what works for your unique family.

 I had a young mama come over today to visit for a bit. I loved having the company. I love the flexibility of homeschooling. If someone pops over like she did today then I can visit with her and not feel like I have to homeschool and her visit wasn't timely. I can just put everything aside until she has gone and pick it up later.

 We were discussing homeschooling. It refreshed me and my vision for my children. Homeschooling is truly a gift from G-d.

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 We begin KONOS today. It was great! I really like it. I also think it will work really well with our notebooking.

 My oldest dd, (14) is studying Reticular Activation Systen (RAS) and I am also learning what this is along with her. We are both getting smarter by the minute! HEHEHE!!!

 My two oldest sone, 8 & 9 wrote their first paper today on deafness but they did well considering they have never done anything of this sort before!!

 I think this is going to work well for my family! :

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I am so excited! I got my KONOS today in the mail from my friend Mary who kindly sent it to me free of charge! It looks like it is just what we need and what I need. I like how everything is laid out for oyu so you don't have to do all of the planning and ideas yourself! I need that because with being a La Leche League Leader and everythign I have to do with that and being the Area media Librarian now also for our area I am busy. Now I have added a bible study on Tuesdays and weight watchers on Wednesdays. I don't have time to plan!! Could I be anymore excited???

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It is so beautiful outside. Everywhere you look the ground is covered with white! While we slept last night it snowed and a fluffy snowy blanket now covers the ground. Today is the first day of spring but you wouldn't know that if the calendar didn't say so.

 I am so proud of my older children who can read. They are reading constantly. I can usually find them curled up on the couch or their beds with book in hand and smiles on their faces. To me it is a beautiful site! Books truly open the world up to us! They whisk us off to other lands and times, peoples and places. We can be explorers right here in our own home as we read of countless adventures that many men and women have taken throughout time.

 I love it when they come to me and relate to me how much they have enjoyed the book they just finished or tell me what the story is about. Their eyes light up and the sense of adventure or mystery fills the air! BOOKS!! BOOKS!! BOOKS!!

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http://www.animatedatlas.com/timeline.html

http://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/explore/timeline.html

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 I have always enjoyed schooling my children but lately it has been a burden I carry. I find that my patience is wearing thin and I lack the creativity that I need to make it fun for my children. I have entertained thoughts of putting my children in public school on those days when they won't pay attention and nothing is going well. But I always come back to the fact that homeschooling is a committment that we have made as a family. When things get hard we can't run from it or send our children off to school. We have to deal with the issues that come up and find solutions. 

  So along with this my dh came up with the idea to reward my two oldest boys for a week of paying attentiopn and behaving during school time. And I prayed before I got out of bed to start my day, "L-rd Yeshua, please give me patience with my boys today. I haven't been very patient. Help me!" Today has been better! He is faithful and the committment is still there! We are working on our solutions and praying our way through this journey!

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 I started my children on their history timeline notebooks today. We are studying American History. We started are notebook today with "1492 Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue". I had the children write the date and then that he discovered America in this year. I then had them draw a picture of Columbus and glue it to their timeline. We read from Story of Liberty and I had my boys read a children's book written from the diary of Columbus's voyage. I think they will finish the book and then we will move on to the date.

 They are still doing their science notebooks. Today they drew a picture of a tree in our backyard and labeled it "a tree in March."  I spoke to them a bit about what happens to trees in the winter.  

 I hope to be able to get out to some rivers and other outdoor type areas when we have nice days.

 Oh~our Hamantaschen pastries turned out really yummy!!!  

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PURIM!!!

Today is Purim. This is the biblical hoiliday where we celebrate what Queen Esther did to save the Jewish people from wicked Haman's plot! There is a yummy pastry that we make on this day to go with our day of feasting. I will post it here:

Classic Cookie Hamantaschen  4 large eggs or 1 cup pareve egg substitute 1 1/3 cups sugar 3/4 cup canola oil 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour Fillings In a large bowl or with a heavy duty mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar until well combined. Beat in the oil and vanilla extract. Beat in the baking powder and salt. Add flour gradually, blending well after each addition. Continue mixing the dough well until it is completely combined. It will be stiff but somewhat sticky. Turn out half the dough onto each fo two sheets of plastic wrap. Press each piece of dough into a thick dish and wrap it well. Refrigerate for several hour or overnight until it is cold and firm. To use the dough immediately, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it gently, adding flour as needed. until smooth and not sticky. To bake the hamantaschen, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with baking parchment or coat them with nonstick cooking spray. Completely coat the dough on all sides with flour. Roll it out on a well-floured flat surface until it is slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. Use additional flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Use a three-inch cutter to cut out as many circles as possible in the dough. Put a generous teaspoon of filling in its center. Fold up the edges of the circle in thirds around the filling to form a pocket with a triangular base. Pink the edges together, leaving a small opening in the center of the hamantaschen where the filling can be seen. Repeat until all the circles are filled. Repeat the process with the second half of the dough. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until they are firm and very lightly browned. Cool on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 30 large hamantaschen. Filling 8 ounces soft dried apricots or prunes 3/4 to 1 cup orange juice or as needed 1/4 cup milk-flavored honey 2 tablespoons sugar or to taste 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts or almonds or soft light or dark raisins Ground cinnamon or ginger may be added, if desired. Chop the fruit very fine. Press into measuring cup. It should measure about 11/2 cups. Put the fruit, 3/4 cup of the juice, honey, sugar and lemon juice into a small saucepan and mix well. Place over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Then continue heating, while stirring constantly, for an additional 7 to 10 minutes or until the fruit is very soft and all the juice has been cooked into the fruit. The filling should have the consistency of very thick preserves. Add additional juice while cooking, if needed. Cool filling to lukewarm. If nuts, cinnamon, ginger and/or raisins are desired, stir them in to suit your taste. The fruit filling can be made up to a week ahead and refrigerated, tightly covered, until needed. Or it may be frozen for several months. Makes 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups filling.   From The New Jewish Holiday Cookbook

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I am really looking forward to tomorrow. It's the beginning of the week and I get to start working on our nature journals, science notebooks and all the great subjects we get to study each day!! I think this new way of homeschooling will be wonderful. Today i printed off the Homeschooling the Easy Way 3-in-1 edition of Cindy Rushton's website. It is her complimentary free ebook. 

 I have always loved the notebook method. I didn't realize this was a type of homeschooling with a name and everything. I have been making up my own notebooks for years now.   

 Tomorrow night is the once a month homeschool moms meeting here at my home. I am really looking forward to it. The topic we will be going over is from the No Greater Joy jumping ship articles. I think it will be really good!

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Yesterday I came up with a great idea for the boys science notebooks. I didn't think I had it in me but I do. I surprised even myself! LOL!

 I had the boys read through a print out on the different types of clouds again and the weather they predict. Then I instructed them to cut out 3 of the cloud types and glue them onto their science notebook page and beside the pic. to write down a description of what each cloud is and what weather it predicts. They really seemed to enjoy it and I know they are learning so we are all happy!

 Lastnight I stayed up late printing off Cindy Rushton's book Nature Study the Easy Way. I thought that I had this book in print but it is another nature study book by another author. I am glad I printed it off because I had been debating if I should or not. There seem to be great ideas and lots of motivation for me to get more into this. I have done nature journals before but we didn't do it long. I would like to continue doing this but make it last.

 In June I plan to go to the CO homeschool convention. I am excited because I am hoping that I can pick up most of my homeschooling curriculum there for the year. I am hoping to find more Charlotte Mason type curriculum supplements and living books.

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 Yesterday we started our science notebooks. I had the boys go outside and check out the sky and the weather. Then I had them write it in their notebooks. They also drew a picture of the clouds in the sky. We then talked about the different types of clouds and that you can predict weather based on these clouds. It didn't take very long and I can't help but feeling like I didn't do enough. And what other things should I do as far as science goes. Anyone have any ideas??

 My oldest is doing her science notebook along with a science book. She drew the sky in the summer and then the sky in the winter and then described it below. I feel better about what she did because she is reading along with it.

 What can I have my boys do along with the notebook???  

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My very first h0meschool blog! I am excited about blogging our homeschool adventure!

 I am trying to school my children using the Charlotte Mason method. We do occasionally use textbooks for reference or to cover a subject I feel we need a more structured study but overall I am wanting to school my children the Charlotte Mason way.

I just recently printed off Cindy Rushton's Make Your Own Science Notebook and I LOVE it! We made and decorated our Science notebooks yesterday. It will be exciting to see the notebooks grow with the children's work. I am sure it will be neat for them to be able to look back and see the progress they are making.

See you next time.....................................

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