The Ending of January 2009

It is hard to believe that we are already in the final day of the first month of the year! We have celebrated a birthday this month (Charles's), enjoyed some snow (not much), and gotten back into a school routine (mostly).

We are really enjoying our Christmas gifts. My personal favorite is the Wii. I never thought I would enjoy a game system sooo much! I also enjoy the trampoline because I can send the kids out to play on it to get lots of energy out.

As we head into February, we have some exciting things to look forward to: Jason has not much longer left of school (Yea!), I am going to Charleston with my mom and sister to hear the symphony (with no kids), and we are looking forward to hosting a Valentines Day party in a couple of weeks (Happy Valentines Day!).

Of course, our immediate event to look forward to is the Superbowl tomorrow! Go Steelers! We are having a small family party complete with food and game watching.

Homeschool Memoirs- Unit Studies

Homeschool Memoirs is another meme that has fallen by the wayside for me over the holidays, but here I am again. I have been enjoying this meme this year.

So anyways, this week’s theme is going to be on unit studies. Some people are really big on unit studies, others aren’t, and some use them as their primary learning tool. I think they’re great a fun way to encompass everything in what you’re studying. please share your favourite unit study and if you’ve never done one before share one you’d like to do.

First of all, I have to say, I love unit studies. I also liked them tied in with lapbooks. I'm not sure what has been my favorite that we've done over the years. We almost always do a Christmas around the World unit study around the holidays. We've done studies on particular books. Right now, we are using the unit study Sign of the Beaver from Homeschool Share. If you have never checked them out, they have tons of free literature based and them based unit studies and lapbook ideas.

If you have hesitated to do a unit study, try one out at a holiday or summer break. They are very fun for parents and kids while still being educational. And really, you can get as in depth (or not) as you like.

If you'd like to participate in Homeschool Memoirs, visit the Homeschool blog Awards blog.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

I have been very lax in participating in some of favorite memes. I am attempting to get back into the routine of some beginning with this week's daybook. Visit Peggy's Simple Woman's Daybook blog to participate.




For Today...

Outside my window... cloudy and cold. The forecast calls for rain all week.

I am thinking... that I would really like to be done with this cold!

From the learning rooms... only light school today. We took a sick day. We've listened to Story of the World and studied this week's spelling words.

I am thankful for... my dryer that is working now.

From the kitchen... hmmm... I need inspiration for supper.

I am wearing... sweats and a t-shirt

I am reading... Last Days by Joel Rosenburg

I am hoping... everyone doesn't get this cold!

I am creating... new menu plans

I am hearing... Children playing MarioCart

Around the house... catching up on laundry

One of my favorite things... watching the little girls play people together

A few plans for the rest of the week... home most of the week; library and AWANA on Wednesday

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

My little snow bunnies enjoying our little snow on Tuesday.

Meal Planning

I actually cooked a meal tonight that all six of us liked and that all four kids ate multiple helpings of! It was a new baked spaghetti recipe.
Last year, I found a website called Meals Matter and looked at it for a while. The site has recipes, meal planners, grocery lists, pantry lists, and nutrition tips. I had forgotten about it for a while and when my computer crashed this summer, I lost the bookmark.
So, this week, on the web board I frequent, we've been discussing meal planning. I "rediscovered" Meals Matter, and I've been using it to do some meal planning. I really like that it has a section on kids recipes that kids can help with, and I like that it has a quick meals and few ingredients section.
Hopefully with some new inspiration, I can do a little better with meal planning.

A Snow Day

We had snow today! It was the first "real" snow here in a couple of years. For those of you who may not be from the South, "Real snow" would be anything that sticks to the ground. Schools are called off, stores are empty of bread and milk, and the city crews work to salt and clear the roads.

I am not a big fan of snow. It means lots of dressing and undressing kids to go outside and lots of clothes washing. But the kids love it, and so does Jason! And we had a great day. Jason was off of work and school tonight. I made homemade waffles this morning. After breakfast, the kids went out for round one. I cleaned up, washed clothes, and started chili in the crockpot. Then I sat in a chair by the fire and read my book! It was wonderful. I finished a whole book today! After lunch, Jason's brother came over with our nephew and the cousins played in the snow- round two.

The snow is pretty much gone now, but it was a good day!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

My Sleeping Boys

Saturday afternoon, Jason and Charles were both really tired. Jason had been up coughing in the night, and Charles had spent the night with a friend and didn't go to be until after midnight. They cuddled up on the couch to rest before I had supper ready, and I caught this picture.

Planning for the Week

We are finally getting back into a normal routine. I love routine.

Here is the plan for the week:
Monday- Ashlyne is spending the night with Grandmommy tonight, so we will be short a child tomorrow. The museum is having a Family Day and we will go IF the weather is not so cold and rainy as this morning. Ashlyne will come home in the evening. Jason has no school!
Tuesday- Stay at home and do school.
Wednesday- We will do the library if we haven't gone out on Monday. If we do go out tomorrow, we'll skip the library this week, so we can have a normal school week. AWANA is in the evening.
Thursday and Friday will be stay at home and do school days. Thursday evening we may go to my mom and dad's for supper while Jason is at school.

For school, we are reading The Sign of the Beaver; listening to Story of the World; studying the animal kingdom; and working ahead in Math U See.

The Bad News and the Good News

It has been a heavy week. Some good friends of ours found out that they are out of a job. It was a big shock to them as he just took this job in the last few months. They are homeschoolers with really only the one main income. We are praying for them, and my heart is heavy for them.
Then I found out Wednesday that an extended family member has a one year old little girl that has been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer.
Several online friends are going through difficult things I have been praying for.
The economy is bad in general, and though we are extremely thankful that Jason has a job, times are hard all around.

At times it weighs heavy on my heart. I know in my head that we are going to suffer on this earth. But to constantly face it is heavy.

In the midst of this, I read out of Matthew 14 for Bible for the kids yesterday.

28"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

29"Come," he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

We were talking about why Peter sank and the fact that he took his eyes off of Jesus and got distracted and overwhelmed by the storm around him. As I was saying it, the thought struck me that that is one reason I felt so burdened about the hard things happening around me. I, like Peter, get caught up in looking at the storm, and I take my eyes off of Jesus.

I have confessed that to the Lord. I am still sad for my friends that are struggling and still tired of the struggle we will continue to go through here on earth, but my eyes on on the Lord Who is in control of the storm.

Today, I checked in with The Homeschool Lounge Bible reading accountability group and this was the worship video posted. I wanted to share it here to encourage anyone else who is feeling heavy of heart. Because the good news is,ultimately, It Is Well With My Soul.

Thoughts on Marriage

On a web board I am a member of, we have been discussing our marriages this week- ways to do special things for our husbands and what makes a good marriage. Today we discussed keys to a good marriage. I wanted to share here what I wrote because I think this is so important. I know so many Christian men and women who do not have happy marriages. I am blessed to be married to a man I not only love but who is my best friend. Having a good marriage has not come easy for us. In the beginning, I was a nag and definitely not submissive, and he was too compliant and didn't take his role of leadership seriously.
But over the years, God has matured us. He has worked through our marriage to grow us. We have learned much about good communication and about real love. I am incredible thankful for my husband and for our marriage.

What are the keys to a good marriage. Here are three of the most important that I have learned:

1. I learned to submit to his authority and to encourage him to lead. I was NOT a submissive wife when we married, and he is too laid back to push it. We went along for years like that until God began to work on us. Now I sometimes still struggle, but I know that he is much better at leading than I am!

2. I have learned to use his love language. My love language is acts of service, so I would do things like wash his clothes and make tea, etc. and expect him to get a big thrill out of it. He appreciated it but just didn't seem so excited. I learned that I need to use his love language to really fill his tank! If you don't know anything about love languages check out some books by Dr. Gary Chapman. We had the privilege to hear him speak in person last spring!

3. The other most important thing I've learned is to seek to satisfy him physically. (Did I say that delicately enough ). I have heard many Christian wives (and I've been one) who say, "Well I'm too tired and busy from caring for the house and kids, and that just shouldn't be such a big deal. He just thinks about that all the time!" But, the fact is, that is how God created our husbands. And I need to love him in that way. It makes all the difference in our relationship when he knows I am seeking to please him there.


Those are some deep thoughts for today. But I believe that being a good wife to my husband is the second most important priority I have- next only to God. If I can get this right, many other things like parenting homeschooling, homemaking, are going to fall into place.

If we were a family of four...

We are missing two kiddos tonight. Kathryne and Rachel are spending the night with their Grandmommy tonight. We took the other two to Bob Evans for supper. Charles had a free meal for his birthday. Going out to supper with two children is MUCH different than four.
For one thing, we can be one on one. So, there was always one of us with each child! We were also able to sit in a booth. We haven't sat in a booth with the whole family since Ashlyne was born almost five years ago! It was quite an experience. It felt very odd. Charles and Ashlyne seemed unsure of what to do. They had a good time. We all enjoyed ourselves.
But, I sure am ready to have all my little chickies back in the nest! I miss them when they are gone!

Happy Birthday Charles!

I can't believe my second baby is turning 8! His actual birthday is tomorrow- the 12th, but we celebrated with a family party last night. is big gift was a Nintendo dS. All the family members gave him money to go towards that. Here is a smilebox I created of Charles's birthday party pictures.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Max Lucado- Lists

I enjoy reading Max Lucado and have signed up for his weekly devotionals from Crosswalk. Because I am a list maker, I especially enjoyed this week's devotional and thought I'd share it:



Laws of the Lighthouse
by Max Lucado

The first of the year is known for three things: black-eyed peas, bowl games, and lists. Some don't eat black-eyed peas. Others hate football. But everybody likes lists.

The Bible certainly has its share of lists. Moses brought one down from the mountain.

There are lists of the gifts of the Spirit. Lists of good fruit and bad. Lists of salutations and greetings. Even the disciples' boat got into the action as it listed in the stormy Sea of Galilee. (If you smiled at that, then I've got a list of puns you'd enjoy.)

But the greatest day of lists is still New Year's Day. And the number one list is the list I call the Laws of the Lighthouse.

The Laws of the Lighthouse contain more than good ideas, personal preferences, and honest opinions. They are God-given, time-tested truths that define the way you should navigate your life. Observe them and enjoy secure passage. Ignore them and crash against the ragged rocks of reality.

Smart move. The wise captain shifts the direction of his craft according to the signal of the lighthouse. A wise person does the same.

Herewith, then, are the lights I look for and the signals I heed:

-- Love God more than you fear hell.
-- Once a week, let a child take you on a walk.
-- Make major decisions in a cemetery.
-- When no one is watching, live as if someone is.
-- Succeed at home first.
-- Don't spend tomorrow's money today.
-- Pray twice as much as you fret.
-- Listen twice as much as you speak.
-- Only harbor a grudge when God does.
-- Never outgrow your love of sunsets.
-- Treat people like angels; you will meet some and help make some.
-- 'Tis wiser to err on the side of generosity than on the side of scrutiny.
-- God has forgiven you; you'd be wise to do the same.
-- When you can't trace God's hand, trust his heart.
-- Toot your own horn and the notes will be flat.
-- Don't feel guilty for God's goodness.
-- The book of life is lived in chapters, so know your page number.
-- Never let the important be the victim of the trivial.
-- Live your liturgy.

To sum it all up:
Approach life like a voyage on a schooner. Enjoy the view. Explore the vessel. Make friends with the captain. Fish a little. And then get off when you get home.


In the Eye of the StormFrom
In the Eye of the Storm
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006) Max Lucado

Taking Pictures as Time Flies

Kathryne came running into the room the other night. She had been in the bedroom with the little girls listening to a Disney CD and dancing. She said," Come and take a picture or make a video." I was busy, and I told her I would come later. "Come on, Mom," she said. "After all, I'll be ten soon!"

And it hit me. My children are growing up so fast. I can't believe my oldest baby will be ten soon. So, I dropped everything and went and took some pictures and made a video. Because I know one day, having those memories will matter so much more than whatever else I was doing that night.

Here are my babies dancing to Monkey's Uncle from the Disney CD.

A Girl's Day

Charles spent the night with Grandmommy last night. It is amazing how different the atmosphere in the house is with all girls! Kathryne decided to host a tea party today. She baked cookies in the Easy Bake Oven, got out my fine china, dressed the little girls on Sunday clothes, and set the table.

She served her tea and cookies and helped the little girls practice manners. Quite a few times she mentioned that she was glad Charles wasn't here to "interrupt." Of course, this is the same child that was missing him at bedtime last night when they had to do their "bedtime routine" over the phone.

Progress

As we are ending up this second week in January, I am evaluating how my 2009 is going.

School goals- I have not started school back yet. My intent was to start Monday, but we ended up having a busy week planned. So, I used this week to work on our schedule and some cleaning things. I cleaned out and organized our school cubbies and all four bookshelves today. Hopefully we are good to go on Monday. I am still good on days (We have to have 180 days in South Carolina) because I school through the summer and did some school through "Christmas break."
I use a quarterly schedule for school, schooling year round.
Quarter 1- June- August- I do a "summer school" unit during these months. We don't necessarily keep regular school days but allow for vacations, VBS, and such.
Quarter 2- September-November- I use this as our "back to school" time moving up to the next grade level as needed.
Quarter 3- December-February- We took most of December off of "real school" and did a holiday unit study.
Quarter 4- March- May- We will try to finish up our "regular curriculum" in May around the time schools here get out.
I am moving more and more to a Charlotte Mason style of homeschooling. I am realizing that this is really what I've been doing and looking for all along. I just feel a little more organized about it now.
This quarter we are going to be reading The Sign of the Beaver, using Story of The World Volume one as a spine with some supplementary reading, continuing Math U See with Charles in Gamma and Kathryne in Delta, and using a textbook form Answers in Genesis for science. I'm going to try to bring in some supplementary "real" books for science also, but I am willing to use the textbook because I love Answers in Genesis's materials sooo much!
I have tweaked our schedule just a little, but for the most part, we are going to use the same schedule as last quarter.

Fitness goals- I am not doing so great in this area. I have been very slack in doing my Wii Fitness Coach. I really find that the more busy I am during the week, the less time I make for this.

Spiritual goals- I am doing well here. I sometimes find that I can't read every day in my reading through the Bible, but I can usually catch up easily and reading online with the reading plan at Crosswalk.com makes it easy.

Homemaking goals- Meal planning is going pretty well. I haven't tried my cooking ahead on Saturdays because I wasn't home last Saturday! I did a major house cleaning on Tuesday, along with freecycling and clearing out some things.

We'll see how next week goes with school starting back. Sometimes it is much easier to plan how I want things to go than to actually implement the plans!

Book Giveaway Reminder

Just a reminder that I have a book giveaway going on on my other blog- Good Reads. It ends on Friday. Check it out here.

New Years Resolutions

I realize I am a little behind in my New Years Resolutions post. This is January 5th. I have intended to write this post for several days now, but I have put it off for several reasons. I really haven't had loads of time to post. And, I think New Years Resolutions are a little corny.

But, corny or not, I am going to post a few resolutions or goals, shall we say. This time next year, I can read back over my blog posts and evaluate.

Spiritual goals:
*Read through the Bible in a year. I usually do this anyway- a habit I have developed since my college years. This year, I am following along in the accountability group with my friends from the Homeschool Lounge.
* Study the book of Revelation by reading the book and by reading books about Revelation. I have an interest in the this because our pastor preached out of the book several years ago and again at Christmas this year he used a passage out of Revelation as the basis of our Advent messages.

Educational Goals:
* Read the original works of Charlotte Mason and plan how to incorporate more of her philosophies into how I teach.
* Work on handwriting more with my older children. I am afraid I have been remiss in this area.

Personal health:
* Exercise at least 3 times a week.
* Continue making changes to more natural/homemade things in our diets and less processed. This has been almost a two year long journey so far. We are doing much better, but there are still some areas I could change.

Homemaking:
* Make meals ahead on Saturday to freeze.
* Follow cleaning chart for monthly and quarterly jobs.

There it is. I also have some other reading goals I posted about in my other blog- Good Reads.

Happy New Year!

Giveaway at My Other Blog

I am hosting a book giveaway at my other blog Good Reads. Please stop by and enter to win a book and see what is going on at my other blog this year.

Wow, what a powerful video...

Do you ever feel like the invisible mom? This really spoke to me. I hope it blesses you.

2008 Year in Review

I have to begin this post with an aaaaagh. I typed out a beautiful post with pictures and lost it!

So, I think I'll stick to posting with no pictures.

2008 has been an interesting year. Jason is finishing up a two year school program. His being in school has really stretched us as a family. It has been quite and adventure for me to be a single parent Monday through Thursday as he goes to school after work each day. I have grown in my faith this year, I believe, as I have had to rely on God for strength to make It through. I have also learned to focus more on Him throughout the stresses and anxiety I have faced being here alone all day every day.

Our children:
Kathryne turned 9 this year. Jason tells her she's halfway to the point where she gets booted out at age 18!
Charles turned 7 this year and has decided to grow his hair out. He is looking quite different from the little buzzed head we've always had.
Ashlyne turned 4 this year. She has started doing some school work and is almost ready to begin reading.
Rachel turned 3 this year and was potty trained!. I no longer have a nursing or diapered baby!

Sad Times:
Jason's grandmother passed away this summer. She lived in town, and the children knew her pretty well. She has been missed in the family.
At the end of the summer, we went through a long three weeks of a bad virus that hit everyone in the family. It was a very trying time and one of the most long lasting illnesses we've had.

Good Times:
We were given a pool this summer- a large above ground pool. We love it!
We have really recognized the value of family days, and we take time whenever we can to just hang out at home together. I am so thankful that the kids love to be home with us!
We have also discovered the joy of watching football as a family. Our Sunday afternoon past time is to gather in the living room and watch the games as Charles gives a commentary.
another blessing we have had was the ability to buy our conversion van- affectionately known as Big Red- and the fact that gas prices started to go back down soon after we bought him!

Trips:
In May, we went camping at Andrew Jackson State Park for Memorial Day.
Jason and I were able to go to the homeschool convention in June.
In July, we went on our annual beach trip to North Myrtle. This year, we went and visited a great museum in Ocean Isle.
In September, we went on another camping trip to Andrew Jackson.

All in all, we have been very blessed this year. In the coming year, we look forward to Jason finishing school, and we look forward to seeing what god has in store for us.

New Years Eve

For the past few years, we have spent New Years Eve at Jason's brother's house doing fireworks with the kids and then staying up to watch the ball drop in Times Square. We did the same this year. It was an exciting year. Charles caught his hat on fire with fireworks, and Kathryne stayed up until midnight with us for the first time. Lots of fun!

Enjoy the fireworks show!

Make a Smilebox slideshow