"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD
require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to
walk humbly with thy God?"
~Micah 6:8~
My Mom died.
How does one get through a time like this? Every single day I think about her and miss her. My husband says something and I think, I will have to tell Mom that. I read a book review and decide to order a copy for my Mom. All day long I am thinking of her.
Hardest of all is remembering her in the hospital bed telling us she can't believe she is dying, telling us she doesn't want to leave her kids because she loves them so.
Sometimes she would cry out for her own mama who was able to be at her bedside. I said to Grandma, "See Gramma, you are never too old to need your Mama."
And I need my Mama now, but she isn't here.
I feel like an orphan.
I feel jipped.
And no matter what the day holds there is sadness in the midst of it.
Sure I am praying and my friends are praying. But grief is a journey, so I am told. There is no way to rush through it and no way around it.
All I really know is my Mom died.
And I miss her so very much.
Monday, March 17, 2008 - Blogger Friend School #18
As a child I always wanted to be a wife and a mother. For many years I had an imaginary husband named Fred and I would ask my Mom to babysit my babies so Fred and I could go out. I told my Mom, Aunt and Grandma that I would have 12 kids someday.
Well, I only ended up with 6... But they certainly are 6 of my BESTEST blessings.
In junior high I wanted to be a psychologist and if I had had enough confidence in my abilities I probably would have went to college.
Now my dream is to raise children who love the Lord with all their heart and be a godly wife and mother.
My Mom has COPD. Unfortunately when she was first diagnosed she did not quit smoking, My brother and I wonder if she was in some form of denial.
The disease has progressed and in the last month or so has really taken hold. She has been in the hospital for most of March so far and a week just in February.
This last hospitalization I wondered if she would even be going home
Because her health was so precarious and I wanted to keep friends and relatives updated I started a Caring Bridge site for her. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lanawhitson
There are few Christians in my extended family so I sent a plea out to my children, their friends, our homeschool group and church to ask them to pray for Mom. Her recovery is nothing short of miraculous. She is doing so much better and I just PRAISE the Lord for His hand on my Mom.
Monday, March 10, 2008 - Blogger Friend School Spending Spree $1000.00
I would love to have a set of china. I currently have a tea set with purple lilacs and if I could find dinnerware to match, I would LOVE that. However, I would "settle" for a china set at an auction store or even brand new. I did find luncheon plates and accessories here at Lilacs and Lace. And at the English China Shop.
Total budgeted for china, $400.00
And I would love a new sewing machine, especially one that does machine embroidery!
I found it at Overstock for $300.00.
Re-decorating my bathroom would be fun and my towels and shower curtain do need replacing.
I really miss my food processor that burnt out on me, so I would love a new one, got any recomendations?
Everyone tells me I would LOVE a George Foreman grill, but I would need the jumbo size with 4 kids still at home. Here is one at Overstock for $90.
Or maybe I should get this one?
My cervical support pillow has worn out and I need a new one. I would like to try these.
After all is said and done $1000.00 doesn't go as far as one would think!
But I sure have had fun dreaming!!!!
I received this email from a homeschool list I am on and thought it could benefit many of you. I have added a few of my own ideas.
Let me know what you think.
Question: what sort of "punishments" or "motivators" do you use as a homeschooling parent if the schoolwork and/or choresare not completed? I plan to help her get organized (make lists forherself if she needs to, etc), but I want her to use the tools tobecome responsible.I need some ideas because the ones I have used in the past just don't seem to work.
Answer:
These are the things I keep in mind:
(1) PRAY! God can give you wisdom where you have none. He will also guide you to a right and proper course. Some ideas He has given me, after a particularly aggravating day, I had had it with my two oldest bickering, we asked them to wash each other's feet. The whole episode ended in laughter and they still mention it, 10 years later.
My two youngers were pestering one another, we talked about how frustrating it is for even those listening. We declared that if there was anymore bickering they would be fed a crust of bread for dinner.
Another sibling idea is to have the offending sibling do the chores of the the other child.
(2)Praise and attention are usually the number ONE motivators.Rather than pointing out faults, praising their accomplishments and attitudes is so much better!
Giving attention to accomplished work, and asking, "How does it feel to get that done?Do you feel like you've learned a lot?Does that make you feel good?Does it make you feel good to finish it?"
It is sometimes a challenge to find the good and not focus on the negative, but do try!
Also ask "What did you find interesting in what you just learned/accomplished?What have you learned?How would you like it to be different? (like the way it was written, or presented, etc.)
(3) Figuring out what her "learning syle" is might be a solution to the problem, especially if it conflicts with your teaching style.She might need to learn in a "hands on" type of environment -- field trips, making things, living history, etc.
So.... maybe give her assignments where she can do hands on work for each subject.
For example:
(1) Write a creative paragraph about what you learned
(2) Draw a picture of what you learned
(3) Make a poster about what you learned (or collage of pictures)
(4) Write a pretend letter to someone describing what you learned and why it was or wasn't interesting.
(5) Play "teacher" and have her try to teach what she's just learned
(6) Arrange field trips once a month or something on your day off around the subjects she's learning.Have her learn how to find out what activities are available -- and what time they are, and how much they cost, etc.
(7) Have her participate in a play about the subject
(8) I don't know if you already do this -- but some people mix literature with the subjects.Biographies of people too.But there is fiction that is sort of related -- and that can spark interest.
(9) A type of "book report" for the day on each subject -- and maybe draw a picture to go with it and ask her to do one project a day about one of her subjects
(10) Ask her to talk into a tape recorder about what she's learned (that's called narration) and you could later listen to it when you're doing the dishes or driving to work, etc.Then you could comment on it.
(11) One of my favorites is creating a lapbook. My kids don't even realize they are creating something educational.
(12) Be willing to do the writing for your child. I find they can narrate back to me some incredible information that they just don't have the skills to write.
I do think that feedback to the child is extremely important!
That is what they DON'T usually get in school.I never did, anyway!
Feedback, love, attention, praise, etc. are so KEY to progress and motivation.
(3) If worse comes to worse, I do punish.No t.v. for the rest of the day, or the following day.No game boy, computer or other favorite things after school or in the evening if he doesn't complete his work.Extra chores are a common consequence. Even no going over to a friend's house if he doesn't get things done. FOLLOW through and be consistent.
That being said I find that the feedback, love, attention, special time with Mom or Dad, and constructive praise work best.
What works for you? Do you have any creative discipline ideas that have worked for you?
I was cooking supper tonight and ruminating on God when I shot up this prayer:
"Lord, please make me a woman that reflects you, give me wisdom and a meek and quiet spirit. And God, could you make it quick?"
Yes, I really did ask for it QUICK! I mean really I needed that prayer answered like years ago!
Sunday, February 17, 2008 - Homeschooling Books and Resources for Sale
Welcome! I hope you are fine this day and enjoying your computer time.
Because our family is changing and our homeschool is shrinking I am listing many books, curriculum and other resources for sale. I have reputable feedback on eBay and can furnish references if you request them. I will be adding things to this list, so please stop back. Prices include shipping and many of these things are big and heavy.
Most of the things I am listing I have personally read or used and will gladly give you more details. I'd like to add that although these resources may not be the latest and greatest updates, they are still wonderfully done.
Curriculum for sale
A Mom Just Like You Vickie Farris -- $7 ppd. Like new. Encouragement and practical advice for the homeschooling mother.
From Playpen To Podium byMyers $7 PPD.
Any Child Can Write by Harvey Wiener -- $7 ppd.. Guide to enhancing your child's education.
GrammarWorks Jay Patterson , Gr. 6-8 -- $15 ppd. A sequential, incremental grammar curriculum for Grades K-8. Easy to use.
Great Editing Adventure Volumes 1 AND 2, Gr. 6-8 -- $10 ppd. Fun student book searching out editing errors, I enjoy the humor. Common Sense Press, punctuation, capitalization, grammar skills, etc..
Guidance Manual for the Christian Home -- $11 ppd. A Parent's Guide for Preparing Home School Students for College.
Homeschool Your Child For Free -- $8 ppd. LauraMaery Gold, More than 1,200 resources.
How To Tutor by Samuel Blumenfeld -- $7 ppd. Methods to teach reading, writing, arithmetic, step-by-step. Very helpful book for teaching varying ages.
If You're Trying to Teach Kids How To Write...You've Gotta Have This Book -- $8 ppd. Write...You've Gotta Have This Book by Marjorie Frank rev. ed. in great condition.
LLATL Bookshelf Collection Yuriko Nichols, Gr. 3 -- $8 ppd. Good. Reading Skills 16 book report alternatives (like Progeny Press) great ideas and projects. Common Sense Press.
LLATL Bookshelf Collection Yuriko Nichols, Gr. 6-8 -- $8 ppd. Good. 16 Book report alternatives (like Progeny) fun projects to further your reading experience. Common Sense Press.
Pencil Playground Jeanne Mulligan, Gr. K-5 -- $17 ppd. FUN, easy to use creative writing course. You will LOVE it!!.
Reading Works - Jay Patterson, Gr. K-5 -- $70 ppd. Nice set of a comprehensive curriculum. This can be used well into middle school and we used it in high school. Includes: Legal Definitions Cards, Multiples Cards, ReadingWorks manual, Writing Road to Reading, composition book, handwriting paper, penmanship masters & more.
Sonlight American History & Language Arts, Gr. 7 -- $20 ppd. Good. Huge 1998 Sonlight Teacher Manual with Language Arts. 09/11
Sonlight Intro To World History TM, 2000 guide, Gr. 2 -- $15 ppd. Good. Basic Course Guide for 2-4th grade covers World History.
Teaching the Trivium by Bluedorn -- $18 ppd. Nice. 5 vols. of Teaching the Trivium mag., articles on Classical ed.. this info. is now in the Bluedorn's book, Teaching the Trivium: Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn. In great shape.
Understanding Writing- Susan Bradwick -- $20 ppd. Good. Excellent curriculum in good condition, multi-level gr 4-12. BIG book expensive to ship, but shipping is ON ME!
Sunday, January 13, 2008 - Struggling with your math?
I recently read a blog post where a mom was crying out in frustration because of their experience with their math text. It brought me back to our days of temper tantrums (mine) and frustrations (my kids) and I shared with her some of the tricks we used to help things go a little smoother.
This particular post was about Saxon math, but the tricks were used for many different subjects. We had a struggling reader so we implemented some of these ideas with the phonics reading program.
Hopefully, you can use some of these ideas.
We have done Saxon for about 12 years and here are some tricks I found:
1. We work on the first part of the lesson that presents the new skill being taught, then do all the practice problems.
2. For the next section (review) we do all the odd problems one day, even the next. If there are a lot of problems that day I may reduce the requirements further.
3. The timed drills we do once a week and chart/graph our time so we can see if we got faster or slower. It often got so they wanted a timed drill 2-4 times a week because they liked bettering their time.
These next three ideas we utilized many times over and they did make a difference!
Anytime we would struggle I'd declare a break and we would do the following:
1. Before starting your schoolwork or a difficult subject, eat a snack with protein, drink water and do some stretches and exercise.
A snack will fuel the brain and help with concentration.
I read, and later heard in a learning styles seminar, that water is the only substance we put into our bodies that directly nourishes the brain, so give it a good drink.
If you do physical exercises that cause you to use both sides of the brain like crab crawls, rub the belly/pat the head, army combat crawls, you will help the brain work more efficiently. Boys especially need physical outlet.
2. Be lavish with the praise and your child's effort. Maybe you can say, since you had a good attitude today, tomorrow you only have to do 10 review problems. We also rewarded good book time with fun learning games either on the computer or board games.
3. AND pray together before you start. Your child will be blessed to hear you bring your lack of patience and plea for wisdom to the Lord.
4. For some kids having instrumental music in the background may help with concentration. We found classics like Mozart and Beethoven to be beautiful and soothing.
Please remember you are not required to do everything a curriculum suggests. Additionally, textbooks are written for classroom instruction so a teacher may assign all 100 problems because she needs to keep her students occupied. Homeschool students need not do this no matter what the subject is.
Additionally, we did math Mon. - Thurs. and Friday was math games and manipulatives.
Please drop me a line and tell me if you tried any of these and if you noticed a difference.
Lastly, I would like to add something that is VERY hard to come to terms with, often times the problem is not your curriculum, it is not your child, it is you. Maybe you are being impatient, quick tempered, or grumpy. Maybe you had your own agenda and it isn't getting met. Take it to the Lord, confess and pray and seek comfort in His Word, the situation may not change, but you will. Furthermore, an apology about your attitude or harsh words (whatever) to your child will do wonders for your relationship. I have found children to be so forgiving and absolutely delighted that Mom would confess to them.
I'd like to share more about this tomorrow because it just happened to be in my reading last night about the VERY same subject.
Thank you, Lord for your Holy Spirit. He is hear to teach us, comfort us, admonish us, convict us of sin and lead us to repentance. Lord, send your Holy Spirit now to speak to my heart, mind and spirit, in Jesus name I pray.
I don't want to just be a better mom, I want to be like Jesus!
Monday, January 7, 2008 - Tidbits About Scheduling and Planning
Scheduling and planning can be very stressful. It seems the minute you get a prospective plan together you begin to doubt yourself or worry that you weren't realistic. Or perhaps something happens that makes it obvious you will have to make alterations: an upcoming baby, a move, or illness. Or more common, you over scheduled, planning more than is feasible in a day.
There are some things I have learned in my many years of homeschooling that may help you as they have me.
First of all, and probably most obvious, is to pray. Pray over each child asking the Lord to give you wisdom regarding that particular son or daughter, ask the Lord to reveal areas that need addressing and how you can best reach him or her. Pray OFTEN with your spouse, if possible, for direction and unity. Additionally, pray with your child. It will soften their hearts to know that you approach the throne of God on their behalf.
Don't just focus on academics when filling in your chart; also consider character, area of weakness and also home or life skills. I strongly feel we need to focus on daily Bible study, prayer, character studies and personal quiet time. These are the foundation not only of Christian living, but the building blocks of creating a student after God's own heart.
Additionally, I often have this feeling of expediency in teaching kids the Word of God. We could easily have our homeschool rights revoked. Our country is BIG on socialist education and they want not only to require public education for every student, but they also want children to start public school as young as 3 years old.
Furthermore, will your child be tempted to sin at some point? Of course, we are all, but God's Word hiding in their hearts helps them fight against temptation.
I wonder too, do we really have freedom of religion in our country? Our freedoms are diminishing more and more each year. Could there come a time when a Bible is scarce or Christianity is outlawed? Maybe we will face persecution, God's Word will strengthen us at such times.
Well, time to get off my soapbox and back to the topic. :-) Sorry!!!!
I also like to consult my student: Are there areas you would like to work on? Is there a subject you are struggling with that we can give extra attention to? Do you have an interest or hobby that we can incorporate into our studies?
Our very best planning session was when my husband and I went away for an overnight. In addition to having a wonderful, relaxing time away we were able to share our vision for our family and make a unified decision on curriculum choices, scheduling, outside commitments, extra-curricular activities and personalized plans for each child.
I would limit your detailed daily or weekly plans to three-six weeks worth at a time. Then you can evaluate what is working, what needs tweaking and what needs to be added and you won't be throwing out a year's worth of plans or trying to make something fit that is actually causing more stress instead of alleviating it.
Also plan out blocks of time so you know how the day might flow. This can be as precise as 7:00 a.m. wake up, 9:00 family devotions, 11:00 nap (my personal favorite), 12:00 lunch, etc. Or can be more ambiguous like: Morning: Bible study, prayer, math. Afternoon: read aloud, chores, language arts. Evening: computer time, family reading. Bedtime - character story.
For your first couple of weeks keep track of how long an activity took, use your timer. This will help you in your future schedule planning to be more realistic in planning. I have often thought something would take 20 minutes and it took an hour. Make ongoing notes on your schedule, ex. "this works better in the afternoon," "need to fit in spelling tests," "naptime needs to be longer", "add teatime", etc. Don't get discouraged, just keep hammering it out and praying. I think you will find that even partially following a schedule makes the day flow better than having none at all.
There are times when I look around and wonder what to do next and I seriously don't have a clue. OR my mind fills with TOO many things and I get overwhelmed. When I get overwhelmed I do not function well and tend to shut down. Well, a lot of good that does!?! Looking back to when our homeschool adventure went more smooth, were the weeks I had planned out, even if it was only a to-do list. Another thing that helps you to feel better about your day is to make a list of all the things you DID get done, you were probably more productive then you thought. Or maybe you had a cuddle and jammies day, that is great too! We are after all, HOME schoolers.
Remember what works for others doesn't always work for you, but God never fails, He will order the steps of the righteous and guide our path with the light of His Word.
So now you are seeking the Lord, conferring with your spouse and consulting your children, making for a more realistic and hopefully peaceful day.
Please leave a comment and tell me what works for you!
Saturday, December 15, 2007 - Free Audio Books and Bibles
Did you know you can download FREE stories, books, music and Bibles from many different sites?
This is something I just discovered. Perhaps I was clueless because I do not have an MP3 player of any kind. I was doing a search for some classic stories we could download and listen to together. After reading out loud for any length of time, my throat gets tired and I have a hard time catching my breath. (I have asthma.)
Additionally, we are going to be reading through the entire Bible in our homeschool and I knew I couldn't read it all out loud so I thought I'd see if there was such a thing as a Bible audio file.
So here are some of the FREE treasures I found: Music of Faith has several Bible chapters available for download, inspirational music, hymns and children's songs. You get 10 free downloads and I am not sure how their membership works and if you could get more.
Look at Songs for Teaching. OH MY GOSH! Songs for every school subject and in some other languages. You are sure to find something fun and useful here. Bummer... it is not a free site. BUT you can get a free song each month with newsletter sign up.
I plan to download some Spanish songs we can listen to while cleaning or cooking.
Find some great classic stories, like The Secret Garden, The Road to Oz, Just So Stories by Kipling, and more here at Kay Ray.
Here is a GREAT treasure, J. Vernon McGee's Bible commentaries, Thru the Bible.
Stop by Free Classic Books for titles like: Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan, Treasure Island by R. L. Stevenson, and Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
Free Christian Audio Books has many Christian classics most of us would like to read and can now be hear. At this site you will find these titles:
Reality of Prayer by E.M. Bounds
Revival Addresses by R.A. Torrey
Secrets of a Happy Christian by H. Smith
The Necessity of Prayer by E.M. Bounds
The Practice of the Presence Brother Lawrence
and more...
Light Up Your Brain has stories for children including a couple of Beatrix Potter titles.
Now this site is uber-exciting! I can't wait to listen to some of these audios. At Kiddie Records Weekly you will find old time radio shows, old recordings from Grandma or Great Grandpa's era, children's operas, OLD Disney, musicals and LOTS MORE. I can't wait to listen to Uncle Remus and Peter and the Wolf.
Sunday, October 7, 2007 - Blogger Friend School Assignment #5
This is such a FUN assignment! I enjoyed making lots of signs. I didn't realize such a site existed.
HELP! I can't stop.....
SOMEBODY, stop me!
I was dealing with a rude person and a difficult situation this week and this is the verse God laid on my heart,
"If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Romans 12:18"
So I have laid aside my "rights", my disappointments and my anger to seek peace. This is hard to do when you know you are not wrong and have to lay down your pride.
We have a little booklet/tract that I picked up one year titled, "You Do Not Have To Be Wrong To Repent" by Craig Hill and in the midst of this I thought about that and realized I would repent of my self-righteous attitude. Yes, I am in the right, but I'd rather be right with the Lord.
Monday, October 1, 2007 - How To Start Your Own Business for Families and Teens
Description:
Starting a business without a road map is hard! The odds of your family or teenager succeeding in the business world are very slim unless you understand certain business concepts and can apply them to real-world situations. This DVD workshop, How To Start Your Own Business for Families and Teens, will take you by the hand and guide you through the small business jungle. When you emerge from the other side, you will have a business idea with a working business plan and marketing plan that you can implement right away!
Here are just a few of the things your family will learn:
- Biblical principles of business
- Pros and cons of having your own business
- Generating business ideas
- Marketing a new business
- Crucial financial numbers for a new business
- Growing a new business
- Taking a new business on-line
- Generating a totally on-line business!
This eight-hour information-packed workshop includes four DVDs and one CD-Rom which includes resources, a printable workbook for taking notes and even has reproducible pages to allow students to continue their business analysis for additional business ideas generated in the workshop.
From the author: "We want to get the word out! We want more Christian families to take their rightful place furthering the kingdom of God through small family businesses. That's why I've purposefully reduced the price to allow teenagers and families access to the business knowledge it took me 20 years to discover. This course would be a bargain at twice the price given the knowledge you and your teen will gain he or she will be able to apply it for the rest of his/her life!
I'm holding the price down for now, but this won't last, I'm sure of it. If you've ever struggled to find an educational resource you need to start your own business, look no further!
I want to do everything I can to put this critical information in the hands of the devoted families who are looking for a way to reshape their lives. You can click on this link and read how to get the“How to Start Your Own Business…For Families and Teens!” Workshop on DVDRIGHT NOW 100% RISK FREE. Our unusual 90-day satisfaction guarantee means if you don’t like what you see, you won’t pay a dime!"
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 - VERY Funny Grocery Shopping Incident
This is a REAL, ACTUAL and totally legit. listing on ebay written by a mother of 6 children. It will surely make you laugh! Mom of My 6 Pack
She also has a funny blog writing about the antics of her household and children. She has a style of humor similar to Erma Bombeck.
I have never taken all 6 of my children grocery shopping with me so I can not imagine how crazy it would be.
As a matter of fact that only (public) place I have ever taken all my children is church and our homeschool group. Oh, we did all go out to eat a couple times, however I do have adult children as well as my littles so that makes a difference.
Let me know if you take all your kids alone grocery shopping with you alone?
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 - Fun Contest - Guess the Horses
Suzy's Scribbles has a contest going at her blog. Guess how many horses are in the jar and you could win her new book which is a kids' historical adventure, Andrea Carter and the Family Secret
He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. 1 Corinthians 1:8-9
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 - FREE LAPBOOK! Art Appreciation from Hands of A Child
I am a long-time fan of Hands of A Child and their lapbook project packs.
They are now offering a freebie for you to try.
The current free project pack is Art Appreciation.
Check it out!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 - Our Resident Goofball
Birth order experts say that the baby of the family tends to be entertaining and a clown, that is definitely true of Ya Ya. She is never happier than when we are all sitting in the living room so she can dance or sing or just make us laugh with her silly antics. Even her nickname, Ya Ya came from her, she proclaimed and insisted it was her name and it has stuck. I praise the Lord for enriching our lives with this feisty bundle of JOY!
A homeschooling mom of 6 delightful blessings looking for her place in this immense world wide web to share, to fit in and to place random thoughts.
Trying to persevere in homeschooling and will use this blog to seek encouragement and wisdom to then pass on to you.
Psalm 37:23-24 (New King James Version)
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,
And He delights in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the LORD upholds him with His hand
These are Books I have Enjoyed!
Including Scrapbooking, Out-of-the-Ordinary Projects, Delightful Hands-On Creations and GREAT Ideas...
Sharpen Writing Skills With These Books About Journaling and Writing
My Mom died.
But they certainly are 6 of my BESTEST blessings.
I did find luncheon plates and accessories here at 
Re-decorating my bathroom would be fun and my towels and shower curtain do need replacing.
Here is one at 
